


Here's To Us

by MidnightJournalist



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Christophe Giacometti, Alpha Katsuki Yuuri, Alpha Otabek Altin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Anxiety, Beta Phichit Chulanont, Bonding, Claiming, Depression, Dirty Talk, Drunk Sex, Dubious Consent, Explicit Language, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Heat Sex, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Nesting, Omega Milla Bavicheva, Omega Minami Kenjiro, Omega Victor Nikiforov, Omega Yuri Plisetsky, Operation Get Victor and Yuri Together, Oral Sex, Phichit and Christophe are the Best Wingmen, Pining, Scenting, Secrets, ShitBang, Slow Burn, Spoiled Rotten Kids, Thoughts of Suicide, Twins, Unplanned Pregnancy, Victor is a Bad Ass Single Dad, YOIShitBang2017, dropping, lots of misunderstandings, questionable content - Freeform, scandals, unprotected sex, yoishitbang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 06:07:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11961294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightJournalist/pseuds/MidnightJournalist
Summary: Victor Nikiforov is on top of the world. A living legend, skater without rival, and an Omega in his prime when he spends one night with an Alpha that changes his life and his future forever. Now a skating coach and a single father, he struggles to find balance in his life as he continues his search for love and inspiration…until Yuri Katsuki announces his return as a coach and Victor finds himself falling.Yuri Katsuki is just a dime a dozen skater with nerves and and weakness that make others question him as an Alpha. After a disaster at the Grand Prix Final and then the Nationals, he decides that the best thing for him is to leave the skating world and give up on his dreams for good. But, when a younger skater that admires him give him a second chance in the skating world, he decides to take one more shot at the gold, even if he’s not skating for it. An encounter with the skater he’s idolized since his childhood gives him hope and a glimpse at happiness.Fate brought these two together again, but secrets and misunderstandings threaten to tear these two apart again. Can their love overcome the obstacles preventing them from being together or will it lead them to ruin.





	1. Somehow a Time and Place Stand Still

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone and happy Shit Bang Day!
> 
> I'm really excited that I got to be a part of this, even though this story is only about half done. I had a lot of things going on that I didn't know about so I couldn't take it into account, so you're getting the first five chapters of this thing and I will update on a semi-regular basis until it's completed, so I hope you'll subscribe and let me know what you think. My writing for a public audience is a little rusty as I haven't posted anything in about two years, so hopefully you'll like it.
> 
> I was really inspired by music, so each chapter has a song that coresponds with it. I'll always credit the lyrics to the artist and I hope to get a playlist up in a little bit so you guys can listen to it. Please let me know what you think and if you want to chat, you can find me on Tumblr under MidnightJournalist there. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
> 
> Chapter 2 will be up in a little bit!

_How Does a Moment Last Forever_  
_How Can a Story Never Die_  
 _It is Love We Must Hold On To_  
 _Never Easy But We Try_

_Sometimes Our Happiness is Captured_  
Somehow A Time and Place Stand Still  
Love Lives On Inside Our Hearts  
And Always Will _…._

(How Does A Moment Last Forever - Celine Dion)

The soft chatter and the faint clinking of glasses and footsteps filled the expanse of the room. Countless people spilling praise and negotiating new deals as they milled about in celebration. Another successful event coming to an end, the season only half over with more prestigious events still to come.

 Victor Nikiforov stood in the corner of the banquet room, needing a break from all the prying eyes and casual conversation. This kind of event not new to him, but the repetition of the same thing over and over again made their little gathering dull compared to what he normally accomplished on the ice. His coach and other skaters knew he sometimes needed a break, directing the attention away from Victor for a few moments allowing him his solitude, but Victor knew it only worked for so long.

Here he stood, a five time, consecutive Grand Prix gold medalist and he had no idea how much longer he’d be able to keep this up. His inspiration waned as his career reached his peak. Sure, he might be able to push out another gold, a set of routines worthy of such a thing, but deep down he knew retirement loomed closer and closer. He knew he wanted more than this.

Skating had been his life since he’d been younger. His love for the sport, his natural ability to surprise competitors, coaches, and audiences around the world fueled his competitive nature, but now…now he didn’t know how much more he’d be able to give. His ability to surprise others waned and now everyone kept expected him to gain the gold every time…telling him he already earned it. That kind of talk made him sick to his stomach. He wanted competition, inspiration to push himself beyond, and the inspiration of others to compete on the same level as him. Sometimes he wished he didn’t win, giving him something to strive for, but at the same time, he’d never give up giving his routines everything he had. Everyone’s disappointment, more so his own, would break him.

Lately, he’d been giving some thoughts to his future. He might be getting old for the skating world, but at twenty-seven he still had several years left in him to fulfill other needs and urges in his life. Being born an Omega, pushing himself in a highly competitive sport, made him desirable to many suiters. He’d had his share over the years, but none measured up to his ideals. They all saw him as Victor the skater and not the person beneath the competitor.

If that’s all they saw, they’d be disappointed. Victor had some undesirable Omega traits, too touchy and clingy, needy in ways that few would tolerate. His success in the skating world pushed him to be a bit high maintenance though he still enjoyed simple comforts. He wanted someone who’d let him live his life, but he wanted someone to stand by his side so that they could support each other. He wanted an equal, not someone who saw his Omega side as something to be controlled or cared for. He’d taken care of himself for years now, knew what he wanted, what he liked, and what he didn’t. He didn’t want an Alpha who’d try to change that…change him.

The sound of a small commotion brought Victor out of his bleak thoughts. He glanced around to catch a glimpse of his rink mate, the junior champion, Yuri Plisetski glaring down at another man in a suit. Victor had seen the man before in a hallway of the rink, asked him if he wanted an autograph. The man walked away from him, not looking back and Victor glimpsed him again, coming in with a coach to the banquet. He had to be another skater, but Victor didn’t know much about him.

Now the man appeared to be trashed, drunk off champagne and prepared to wage some sort of war on Yuri. He was muttering in his native language, when Yuri snapped.

“I can’t understand you and you pathetic whining. If you have something to say to me, speak English, asshole.” The young skater scoffed, and if every eye in the room hadn’t been on the spectacle, they were now.

“Yuri Plisetski, I challenge you to…to a dance competition.” The other man spoke, speech slurring a little, but for how drunk he appeared, it came out clearer than expected. “If I win, I never want to hear you call me a cry baby again.”

“All right,” Yuri called out, eyes alight thinking about a challenge. “But if I win, you have to retire. I meant it when I said we don’t need two of us in the same bracket.”

Victor didn’t have time to puzzle out what the other meant by ‘two of us,’ but he felt intrigued enough to push off the wall, sauntering over to where the two skaters took their positions. The older man watched with quiet fascination as they started to dance…if it could be called that. He knew the Americans referred to it as break dancing, but it hardly looked like dancing. Still he could see the appeal, as his eyes watched the lithe body of the dark-haired skater move on the dance floor, effectively winning over Yuri’s awkward movements. The younger skater clearly didn’t have any skills in break dancing and it showed. The blond stomped off with a huff, though the dark-haired man didn’t stop, clearly unaware that his opponent forfeited instead of remaining embarrassed.

“Oh, I didn’t know he could do that. I wonder if he’s any good at other things.” A familiar voice purred from behind him. Victor turned to meet the amused gaze of Christophe Giacometti. Chris became Victor’s friend a few years back, the Swiss born skater and current silver medalist at this event, sported a grin with eyes curious.

“You know him then.” Victor tried sounded casual, but his tone held too much interest.

“I do, but you should too. He’s the skater that came in sixth in the final…Japan’s ace, Yuri Katsuki.” At Victor’s confused expression. “I’m surprised, Victor. You usually know who your competition is and what they’re good at, though I can’t blame you for not noticing Katsuki. His presentation was stunning, but his nerves clearly got the best of him and he failed most of his jumps. Strange for an Alpha not to be completely confident in anything he does, though it appears he saved it for the after party with a bit of liquid courage.”

Victor felt thrown as he turned back to watch with renewed interest. He assumed Katsuki had been a skater, but not that he’d been performing in the final. He vaguely remembered the performance, flawed yet beautiful. He’d stopped watching because he hadn’t seen Katsuki as competition with his shaky nerves, but now watching him, he could clearly see that confidence did wonders to change anyone’s perception of him. He also felt surprise at the skater’s secondary designation…. Alpha.

Yuri Katsuki didn’t look like your typical Alpha. His Asian descent meant he would be shorter than most…in fact Victor, who stood taller than your average Omega, stood taller than him. His frame was lithe and muscular, but not bulky. His features looked soft…too soft, but that wasn’t all that unappealing. The fact that Katsuki didn’t look like a typical Alpha intrigued him and even the instincts of his Omega half stirred with interest. He wanted to talk the man, preferably when Katsuki sobered up. Turing to look back at Chris, he startled realizing his friend no longer stood slightly behind him.

Glancing around he froze at the sight of Chris standing next to Katsuki. The two of them talking as Chris gestured towards an object currently being set up. The pole hadn’t been there earlier, but knowing Chris and his lifestyle, it didn’t surprise Victor in the least if the man brought it with him for some fun. Clearly, he planned something and Victor didn’t know if he’d love it or hate it. With his new intrigue with Katsuki, he knew he would watch if only to see the if the Alpha could keep him interested.

He never expected to be utterly smitten as he watched Katsuki spin around on the pole like a pro. Yuri fumbled in the beginning, his formal clothes too awkward for whatever he thought about attempting. Now clad in black boxers, matching socks, and that ridiculously hideous blue tie and nothing else, Victor’s eyes raked over pale skin and lean muscle. Katsuki almost looked obscene, using the strength in his legs and core to hold himself up on the pole. Chris took a brief turn to show off his stuff, having stripped down to his skimpy underwear and clearly having a blast, but soon joined up on the pole by his competing and the two put on a show.

They looked good together, Alpha and Omega laughing and having a good time in their own private dance and Victor felt a little nauseous at the thought. He had no claims on Katsuki at all, never even formally met the man, but his Omega wanted. It hissed and clawed and insisted Victor march over to that pole and yank Katsuki away from Chris and insist on a chance to dance with him. He pushed back the thoughts of what else he wanted Katsuki to do to him, but calmed his over eager imagination. He’d always been like that, trying to get ahead of himself when he really needed to talk to the man first…get to know him.

He hid his pout behind his glass of champagne as he continued to watch. It didn’t take much longer before both men had to get down from the pole, laughing at their own antics as Chris helped Katsuki back into his shirt and pants…well somewhat. His shirt remained open and his pants were unzipped, but at least he was less distracting.

Chris casually glanced Victor’s way, a knowing smirk on his face. He spoke to Katsuki again, and the trashed skater turned to look Victor’s way, eyes lighting up causing Victor’s face to flush. Despite his earlier performance on the pole, he looked a bit wobbly on his feet as he approached. Victor found he couldn’t move under the hazy gaze of the Alpha that caught his attention.

“Vic…tor…you should…dance with me too. I’ve always…wanted to dance…no…I wanted to skate…. skate with you. But I can’t now…so dance with me.” Katsuki stuttered, eyes crinkling as he tried to think of what he wanted to say

Victor couldn’t move, nor could he say no, though he felt stunned when the other skater practically tripped into his arms causing him to drop his glass to catch him. Katsuki felt heavier than he looked, though he recovered quickly looking up at Victor with that ridiculous tie wrapped around his forehead, eyes wide and filled with wonder.

“You have pretty eyes.” Yuri murmured as his grip tightened on Victor, his body swaying a bit. “I know…when the season is over…you should come visit. My family owns a hot spring…. you should come.”

Victor swallowed hard, mouth gaping like a fish for a moment before collecting himself. Too many of the people in the room still watched fascinated by the turn of events. He took another moment to shake off the shock, prying Yuri off him and holding him up.

“You want to dance?” Victor managed to get out watching Katsuki’s expression.

He nodded, smiling blindingly as he stumbled back, managing to stay on his feet. The music sounded from the nearby speaker as Yuri took up his position. In an instant, Yuri transformed from drunken party fool to someone who saw this as a challenge.

They both moved in time with the music. Despite never having danced together before, they moved as if they’d done this a hundred times before. Every brush of their bodies, the way Katsuki held him with such strength. He didn’t know how to describe this feeling, but he knew he wanted more…so much more.

Yuri won their dance off, laughing as he dipped Victor, pulling his face close. Victor’s breath caught as his eyes focused on his lips. He wanted Katsuki to kiss him and didn’t know how to explain it when he barely knew the man dancing with him, but he wanted to.

He realized that now. At least that he understood that much, even if he didn’t understand his emotions completely right now. With Katsuki being as tipsy as he was, he hoped that he could at least take the man back to his hotel room to sober up and leave a note to meet him for breakfast in the morning. That had to be the most rational thought he had all night as Katsuki pulled him back up laughing as he murmured something in his native tongue that Victor couldn’t understand.

Victor found himself laughing too, affected by Katsuki’s presence, infectious and wanting…too much and yet not enough. The sound of whistling and clapping along with the oppressive gazes of the crowd brought both men out of their own little world. Yuri waved slightly at the crowd before turning back to Victor, grinning as he murmured, “Oops, busted.” Victor’s heart melted a little bit more.

“We should get you back to your hotel room. You can sleep this off and I want to talk again in the morning.” Victor spoke gently trying to get the Alpha to go along with his suggestion.

Katsuki pouted, his features puffing up as his eyes darted away. “I want to…I want to stay…with Victor…with you.”

Victor smiled at the words, happy that Katsuki wanted to be near him too. “I’ll go with you and I’ll stay until you fall asleep. Sound fair?”

That look of wonder appeared again on the other man’s face and he looked happy. “Okay.”

Victor helped him out of the banquet hall to the elevators. Katsuki practically clung to him, refusing to let go as they stumbled down the hall. Yuri had trouble remembering what floor his room was on, but after a moment, he remembered, slumping against the other man muttering in Japanese. Victor glanced down a few times and each time, Yuri stared up at him, not taking his eyes off the older skater.

“Victor…I…” Yuri slurred causing the older man to turn and look his way. Without warning, a firm hand tangled in his hair at the nape of his neck, his head pulled down as Katsuki surged up, their mouths meeting in a sloppy, but wonderful kiss. Victor felt his whole body melt at the kiss and if Katsuki could stand on his own, he probably would have. This man…this skater with his faults and in his drunken stupor managed to sweep Victor off his feet and turn his life upside down. He knew he was smitten, inspired and wanting and very much not like himself. Victor always seemed carefree and took what he wanted, but his actions weren’t without thought as most people believed. He couldn’t bring himself to care in that moment. Yuri Katsuki lit something within him and he planned on chasing that feeling until he couldn’t anymore.

They broke apart, startled by the elevator door opening and they realized they’d reached the right floor. Katsuki pulled away, taking hold of Victor’s hand and managing to stand mostly upright as he pulled Victor out of the elevator and down the hall, digging into his pocket with his free hand for the key card. Swiping it across the door hastily, it gave way allowing them to enter Katsuki’s room on the first try.

Katsuki pulled him into the room, turning to press him back against the door causing it to slam shut. Warm lips pressed against his in a sloppy kiss as surprisingly nimble fingers unbuttoned his shirt revealing pale skin and limber muscle.

Victor felt his body melt under the touch of an Alpha, his Omega preening at the attention. Katsuki’s lips left his, trailing along his jaw and down to his scent gland. Victor tilted his head back against the door as warm breath ghosted over the swollen glands. The Alpha nuzzled the spot causing the strong scent of pine trees and freshly fallen snow to permeate the room. The Alpha made a sound between a growl and a purr as he bit the gland lightly causing the Omega to whimper.

“Katsuki…” Victor breathed, the name slipping out. He didn’t know the Japanese skater well enough to be on a first name basis, but he wanted to. At the sound of his last name, the other man growled low causing Victor to freeze as teeth scraped over his gland.

“Yuri.” He bit out, sounding a little annoyed, his mouth trailing up and down the column of Victor’s neck to his shoulder. “I want you to call me by my first name, Victor.”

“Yuri!” Victor half gasped, half groaned as his hands bunched in Yuri’s shirt, pulling it up to slide his hand beneath. Yuri’s skin felt warm and slick under his touch. His head fell forward to rest against Yuri’s shoulder to try and stop the teasing that heated his skin, senses flooded with the combination scent of flowers and the salt of the sea. His head grew dizzy as the scent combined with his own fragrance creating a strange, but not unpleasant combination…and Victor wanted more.

Victor always held a tight rein on his Omega, unable to let it out. As an athlete, he kept his body in top form, never allowing anything to ruin his chance to hit the gold. Now he had gold, plenty of it and he wanted more from life now. He wanted to fall in love. He wanted to live a life full of passion and inspiration. For one night, he wanted to let go and let his Omega get what it wanted for a change.

His heart pounded in its chest as Yuri peeled Victor’s shirt away, pressing close to him. Victor could feel the evidence of Yuri’s arousal press against his and he realized he felt the same way. Instinctively, he found Yuri’s scent gland, nuzzling it. Hearing Yuri’s breath hitch, he indulged his Omega, running his tongue over the gland.

Yuri groaned, hands roaming over Victor’s chest and stomach, fingers curling around the tie that hung around the Omega’s neck. He stepped back, sliding a hand through his disheveled hair before wrapping his hand up in silk and tugging Victor deeper into the room. Victor felt helpless as Yuri led him towards the bed using his tie as a leash. When they reached their destination, Yuri spun Victor around, pushing him down on the bed so that he bounced on the mattress. Wasting no time, Yuri climbed up on the bed, straddling his hips, rubbing their still covered erections together even as he leaned down to capture Victor’s mouth in another kiss. Victor whined, kicking his shoes off, before finding purchase on the bed to shift…creating more friction and causing Yuri to moan and pull away, sitting up to stare down at the Omega. He brushed his hair back into the style he wore while skating, though it looked far less refined and no less beautiful in Victor’s eyes.

“I want to…with Victor…but only if…if you want to too.” Cinnamon colored eyes looked directly into brilliant blue and Victor’s breath caught in his throat, heart pounding. The Alpha gave him a choice, practically told him he’d willingly stop if that’s what Victor wanted. Victor grew tired of demanding Alpha partners and the fact Yuri set himself apart from all that meant so much more to Victor than he thought. Reaching up to catch Yuri’s tie, he slowly pulled the man down towards him.

He kissed him, allowing Yuri to take the lead as he pinned him down on the bed. Gripping Victor’s tie, he pulled back to yank it over the Omega’s head and throw it away. Kissing down Victor’s body, until he reached the hem of Victor’s pants. Unfastening the belt and pants, he slid off the bed, yanking the pants off. Victor lifted his hips to help Yuri take off his pants. Victor took the initiative to strip off his underwear, tossing them towards Yuri in a cheeky move. The flushed Alpha caught them in his hand, throwing them over his head without a care as he took a step back.

Eyes raked over his frame even as Yuri began to strip out of his own clothes. He unbuttoned his shirt, allowing it to fall on the floor behind him. Kicking off his shoes and socks, he fumbled a little impatiently at his own belt, yanking them down with his boxers. Victor’s mouth watered at the sight of Yuri’s cock, so big as it curled up to his stomach. His eyes trailed over Yuri’s frame, noticing that although he still maintained a skater’s body, he looked like he’d recently gained weight, a slight pudge over his belly. Stretch marks covered the skin of his stomach and hips and Victor thought they looked beautiful. Next time he wanted to trace his tongue over those marks and do so much more, but he felt a burst of impatience. He wanted Yuri and didn’t want to waste any more time. Instead, he rolled over, getting up on his hands and knees and pressing his body back a little bit. He wanted to entice Yuri, submitting his body to his chosen Alpha. Victor looked back knowing his desires were reflected in his eyes.

Yuri groaned at the sight, hands coming to rest on Victor’s hips and over the swell of his ass. Victor gasped when he felt a finger press against him, teasing him as just the tip slid carefully inside of him. Yuri pulled back at the sound for a moment, gathering the slick from Victor’s thighs to coat his fingers before they return, this time one pressing inside of him with ease. He clenched at the sheets of the bed, willing his body to relax. He may not be in heat at the moment, but his body was built for this and he knew it wouldn’t disappoint. Still, Yuri seemed to take his time, working Victor open carefully as one finger became two, scissoring him open a little bit more and then three.

Victor bit out a chocked-off moan when Yuri curled his fingers, finding that sweet spot inside of him that had him seeing stars. He heard the Alpha chuckle, low and amused as he did it again causing Victor to push back.

“Yuri, please.” He begged. “Don’t tease me.”

He felt lips at the base of his spine and he shuddered as it traveled up his back and to his scent gland. Yuri nuzzled it before he pressed a kiss to the back of Victor’s ear and breathed, “I’m not.”

As soon as he said it, the fingers pulled out of him and something much larger pressed against his entrance. Willing his body to relax, he pressed back against Yuri’s length as the Alpha pressed forward the head of his cock pushing inside of him. Yuri went still, trying to allow Victor to adjust and not hurt him. He continued to kiss his skin and coax him into relaxing.

Belatedly, Victor realized just how slick he felt. His body so tuned to the pleasure that he hadn’t noticed it, but now he could feel it coating his entrance and sliding down to his thighs and over Yuri’s cock. Warm hands skimmed over the skin of his hips and stomach as he reached down and cup his cock. Yuri stroked over the hard flesh, bringing him pleasure as he slowly began to sink further inside Victor’s body. It didn’t take long for him to be fully inside the Omega, head falling back as he panted. The Alpha looked as though he was fighting every instinct to move inside the Omega beneath him. Victor groaned, giving himself over to the sensations coursing through him.

Slowly, Yuri pulled back before pressing back inside. Little sounds escaped over Victor’s lips as he pressed back against the Alpha. His arms shook at the effort to stay upright before Victor found himself clutching the sheets, face pressed into the comforter. A small part of his mind warned him that they weren’t using any protection, but with hard snap of Yuri’s hips, the thought left him as quickly as it’d come.

“Victor,” Yuri breathed his name in his ear, harsh pants following. “You’re so beautiful…like this…and when you skate. I’ve wanted to talk to you for so long and I’ve dreamed of getting to know you…to be able to have you like this.”

Yuri’s nipped again at his scent glands as his thrusts came quicker and harder. Victor tilted his head back to give the Alpha better access. His Omega wanted the Alpha to bite him, claim and bond with him, but his rational mind won out. He barely knew Yuri. Thankfully, Yuri seemed to be on the same page.

“I want to bite, but I can’t… not yet.” He murmured, pressing a final kiss to Victor’s gland before trailing kiss over Victor’s shoulder and down his back…wherever Yuri could reach. Yuri went still for a moment before pulling out. Victor whimpered, but before he could really lament the loss of Yuri inside of him, the Alpha flipped him over, burying himself again in that tight heat, capturing Victor’s lips again. He pulled Victor up into his lap.

Victor wrapped his arms around Yuri’s neck to help hold his body up. He sat a bit taller that Yuri, so he found himself looking down into the eyes of the other man. Rolling his hips, he gazed into Yuri’s eyes, breath hitching at the raw emotions in his eyes.

“Much better.” Yuri leaned in for another kiss. “I can see you and kiss you this way.”

The Alpha thrust up into Victor’s body, meeting him as he came down. The Omega’s head rolled back and Yuri continued to kiss and bite at his skin. He groaned as Yuri teased his nipples with his tongue, sucking and biting as he shifted, tipping Victor so that his back hit the bed again.

Victor could feel Yuri’s growing knot press against him and he realized how bad he wanted it. Willing his body to relax he moaned in encouragement.

“Alpha…knot me, please.” Victor begged earning a pleased growl in return. Yuri moved to hook Victor’s legs up further, pressing his knot harder against the Omega’s entrance. Another wave of slick escaped and with one more firm push, the knot slid inside of him, stretching him further than he’d ever felt before.

Crying out at the stretch, he felt Yuri shift, snarling low at the sensation. Victor whimpered in submission, throwing his head back, but instead of biting, Yuri reached down to stroke over Victor’s length even as he shifted, thrusting as much as the knot allowed. It didn’t take much more before Victor came, cum spilling onto Yuri’s hand and over their stomach. The Alpha groaned as muscles clenched around his cock and the stimulus tipped him over the edge too. He spilled deep inside of Victor as he turned to bite down on the pillow next to Victor’s head and avoiding an accidental bonding.

Both men lay limp on the bed, their bodies locked together for the time being, even as they both relaxed, sated and content. Yuri’s smaller frame lay on top of Victor’s, the body warm and weight comforting as Victor stroked his hands gently over the Alpha’s back.

At the soft sound of snoring, Victor bit back a chuckle. Seems between the alcohol and sex, the Alpha couldn’t stay awake any longer. Victor didn’t mind, lazily gazing up at the Alpha, hands trailing patterns on skin as he fought the urge to wake the other man and climb under the covers.

He never planned on doing something like this tonight. Still life never ceased to surprise him. Yuri Katsuki didn’t know it, but he’d become the first Alpha to capture Victor’s heart and Omega half so fully. Because of that, Victor already knew he’d be ruined for any other Alpha seeing that Yuri had been the best he’d ever had, but also because when Victor gave any effort into anything, including love, he gave it his all.

Allowing him a soft little laugh, he stroked his fingers through dark hair and relaxed into the warmth. Tomorrow he and Yuri could talk, figure all this out because he wanted to see the man again after all this. If all went well, Victor might have finally found what he’d been searching for all this time.


	2. I'm Pretty Sure the World is Out to Get Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an amazing night, things aren't looking up for Victor. When a surprise illness catches him off guard, Victor finds he must make some tough decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. Apparently none of my edits from my beta saved, so I'm having to re-edit everything as I go. Enjoy!

_You Say That I_ _’m Paranoid_  
But I _’m Pretty Sure the World Is Out to Get Me_  
It _’s Not Like I Make the Choice  
To Let My Mind Stay So Fucking Messy_ _…_

(Heavy - Linkin Park featuring Kiiara)

  
When Victor woke the next morning he felt sore, but sated in a way he’d never felt before. Sure he’d had lovers over the years, but nothing compared to the passion and drive he’d experienced last night. Yuri gave him a night that he knew he’d never be able to forget, at least he wouldn’t for a long time. As much as he wanted to stay there curled up next to Yuri’s warmth, he knew he needed to get back to his room and pack; his flight back to Russia was heading out in a few hours.

Surely he’d see Yuri at Worlds when it came up in a few months. Maybe then they could go out on a proper date and possibly repeat what they’d done the night before…this time with both men sober. The thought alone made Victor smile infectiously, heart giddy with the emotions that filled it.

Victor slipped out of the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping occupant. He smirked as he went to the bathroom to clean himself up a little bit before going round the room to find his discarded clothes scattered about. Throwing them on, he made his way back to the bed to get one more look at the younger Alpha. Gently he brushed back the hair from Yuri’s face, pressing a kiss to the man’s temple before looking around for something to write a note on.

As much as he wanted to wake Yuri, he knew the man would most likely suffer from a terrible hang over. As much as he’d prefer to talk about this now, better to let Yuri rest and have his full attention later. Finding a hotel note pad and pen, he scribbled a quick thank you for the night before and left his phone number with the letter of his first name and a heart. Yuri would understand the meaning and contact him, that Victor knew with certainty. With a final flourish, Victor made sure he had everything he needed before heading back to his room and continuing with his life.

A few months passed and no words came from Yuri. Everyday Victor’s frustrations grew and his moods grew progressively worse. It didn’t help that he’d caught some sort of bug and found himself in the bathroom, throwing up his breakfast or brunch. Victor knew he should go to the doctor when it went on for two straight weeks, but with Worlds right around the corner, he couldn’t afford to be told just how sick he was. He’d go even if it got worse.

He struggled when it came to his final practices, body sluggish from lack of nutrients, and lately, sleep. He’d been so stressed about the competition and hiding his illness from his coach and rink mates. Yakov asked him directly right before they boarded the plane to Japan. Victor hoped that even if Yuri didn’t make it as a competitor, he still might come see the competing. He lived in Japan after all.

The day of the short program came and Victor felt a wave of disappointment hit him. Yuri hadn’t come to Worlds, not even to see him. No calls or texts, no letters from the younger skater. It almost seemed as if Yuri Katsuki had disappeared from the public eye after has disastrous performance at the Japanese Nationals. Victor had watched as nerves ate the man whole, causing him to fall to the eleventh spot. Victor knew Yuri held talent within himself, but his nerves got the better of him every time. Still he’d hoped and now that hope lay crushed beneath the weight of disappointment and the ever squirming nerves that Victor now faced. Right before his short program, he excused himself to go to the bathroom, throwing up his breakfast until he had nothing left.

He took a moment, trying to catch his breath as he shakily stood, trying to find his balance on his skates. At least his nausea waned enough that he knew he could skate his program. Stepping out of the stall, he noticed someone else standing off to the side leaning against the wall.

“I noticed you looking pale earlier and came to check on you. It’s not like you to run off during a competition and now I know you truly are sick.” Chris said. “Want to talk about it?”

“I need to get back out there and get ready to go out on the ice.”

“Victor…”Chris sounded hesitant.

“Not now, Chris. I can’t focus on that now. Maybe after…” Victor sounded tired even to his own ears, but at the look Chris gave him, he knew he’d at least won this battle.

“Fine, but I’m not going to let this drop. After we’re done tonight, I’m coming over and we’re going to talk about this. I think I already have an idea as to what’s going on.”

Victor could only nod, still not wanting to think about possibilities right now. He just wanted to go out there and skate to forget about everything for a while. He didn’t want to think about whatever mysterious ailment he had or about the Alpha who abandoned him without a word. He wanted the one thing that brought him some peace. Rejoining Yakov, he finished his stretches and made his way to the rink entrance when his name was called. Taking a final deep breath to settle growing nerves, he stepped out onto the ice and began a very familiar dance.

Hours later found Victor back in his hotel room, laying on his back on the bed. He’d come in at the top of the score card of the free skate with Chris right underneath him. After so many years with the same results, it didn’t surprise him, but he thought that being sick might affect him in some way. His focus and drive pushed him to the top again.

A knock on the door made him want to groan. Chris had been watching him since their meeting in the bathroom. Now it seemed that Chris was keeping him to his word.

“Victor, I know you’re in there. Either you can open the door on your own, or I’ll go through your coach to get into your room.”

Victor almost cursed. He may have his own room, but it sat adjacent to Yakov’s and the rooms attached. The last thing he wanted was for Yakov to find out about this, especially when Victor didn’t have any answers to give him.

Pushing up from the bed, he made his way over to the door, pulling it open to reveal Chris’ worried face. He held up a bag with a couple of food containers. And another bag that looks like it came from a pharmacy.

“I thought you could try to eat something, and we can talk about this. Don’t worry, I did some research and this shouldn’t be too harsh of your stomach.”

Victor moved to let him in, not really knowing what to say at this point. Chris immediately went to the table and started to unpack the food. Even Victor couldn’t deny that it smelled amazing and his stomach growled. His breakfast didn’t stay down and he hadn’t eaten anything since.

“Do you want to talk before we eat or eat before we talk?”

“I’d rather eat first. I ate breakfast, but…”

“You mean you haven’t eaten anything since this morning. That’s not good Victor. Sit and eat and you can talk when you’re ready. You’re not getting out of this though, Victor. Either we can try to make a few guesses or we’re making an appointment with a doctor. If this gets more serious, it could affect your career.”

Victor grew quiet as he sat across from his friend. They ate in silence, but Victor could feel Chris watching him while they ate. It seemed as though he kept trying to figure out what Victor thoughts were or clues to his illness. It didn’t take long for them to finish and Chris just looked at Victor expectantly, waiting for the older man to begin.

“It’s been going on for a few weeks now. I’ve been tired and moody lately, plus the throwing up. It doesn’t last all day, worse in the morning.”

“I wondered about that. How long has it been since the Grand Prix Final?”

“A few months…though I don’t see why that has anything to do with my illness.”

“Victor, you don’t remember?” At Victor’s puzzled expression he continued, “You told me that you slept with Yuri Katsuki after the banquet. Do you think…?”

Victor went still. “I wasn’t in heat though and Yuri wasn’t rutting.”

“Did you use protection?”

Victor shook his head, thoughts reeling as his hand went to his stomach. “No. I thought about it, but I didn’t think we needed to.”

“Victor, I picked this up on a whim, but now I think you should take it. It’s rare for an Omega to fall pregnant outside of a heat, but it’s not impossible. Better to either confirm it or rule it out, just in case.”

Chris reached into the other bag he’d set aside producing a pregnancy test. Victor’s hand shook as he took the package from Chris, unsure if he wanted to go through with this. Chris had a point, but Victor’s emotions continued to go haywire at the possibilities before him.

Standing up automatically, he made his way to the bathroom. Without much thought, he followed the instructions. In the three minutes it took for the results to come back, he fretted, denied the possibility of it happening because to do so meant changes to his future that he didn’t want to think about right now. His whole world changed in an instant…the moment he looked down at the results of the test.

Snatching it up in his hands, he shakily stepped back into the room. Chris met him in a few steps, catching him before he fell to his knees.

“I’m….The test is…I…” Victor stammered holding the test out to his friend, unable to say the words. Chris pulled Victor into a hug, not saying anything and Victor clung to his friend, dropping the test to the floor, not wanting to look at it anymore.

Tears fell from Victor’s eyes as he released the pent up frustration he’d been holding on to for so long. Now he had an answer, but that answer only led to more questions, decisions needing to be made. He didn’t want to, but he knew he needed to start making decisions. He couldn’t just think about himself anymore.

“What do I do, Chris? I don’t know what to do.” Victor managed to choke out.

“You’re not alone in this, Victor. We can figure this out. You have options that we can discuss. First things first, we should go see a doctor and get a real confirmation and find out more information. I’ll stay with you for a little while until we get this sorted out. You’re going to have to tell Yakov and it probably would be good for you to withdraw from competing until you figure out what you’re going to do.”

“I’m still skating my free program.” Victor insisted, not liking the idea of withdrawing. “I’m still going to take gold. Might be my last chance to do it.”

It hurt to admit, but the prospect of never being able to skate again if he made the decision to keep the baby hurt, pushing him to want to go through with it even more.

“Fine, but after you skate, you’re telling your coach. Better to get it over with now that you’ve just found out than let him scream at you for knowing for a while and competing anyway.”

Victor laughed nervously. It cheered him up some to think of his coach’s reaction. “He’ll still yell at me. I am skating my free skate knowing…well, what I know.”

“Victor, you can’t just laugh this off. This is serious. Not only are you going to have to make some hard decisions, but you’re also going to have to tell the father. Do you have a way to contact, Katsuki?”

Victor shook his head, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. “I left him my number after the final thinking he’d contact me, but I don’t have his. I hoped I’d see him here, but he didn’t make it.”

“I heard he let his nerves eat at him at the Nationals. Came in eleventh, didn’t he?”

Victor nodded. “I suppose I can try going through a sponsor or his coach. I’d rather tell him about this in person, so meeting up with him seems like my best option.”

“You’re assuming he’ll just meet up with you. Yuri Katsuki lives a world away from you and is licking his wounds from a double skating failure. He might not be easy to get a hold of right now.”

“I know, but I still have to try. I just don’t know what to do next.”

The duo fell into a comfortable silence. Chris pulled out his phone, typing something on the screen. His eyes glanced over as he scrolled on his phone.

“I think the best thing to do now is to go see a doctor and confirm your pregnancy. We can ask them what you should do from there. You have options and time Victor. I’m going to call around and see if someone can get you in the next few days while we’re here.” He paused, looking over at his friend. “I won’t say anything to Yakov before you have the chance to skate, but you have to talk to him after the skate. You might have to extend your stay in Japan to see a doctor to know if it’s okay for you to travel.” 

“I think I’m fine this early on, but you’re right. As much as I don’t want to, I need to see someone about this.” Victor paused for a moment, lifting his head up. “I will talk to Yakov, but I want to wait for the doctor to confirm it so that I have something to show him. I can’t make any decisions until then. I’m going to wait and see my doctor in Russia. I’ll call in a little bit and set up an appointment for when I get back. I don’t think a plane ride is going to hurt me at this point and I trust my doctor not to let anything get out to the media.”

Chris studied his friend for a moment. “All right. I see you’ve made your decision and I know you. Once you decide to do something, nothing will change your mind. All I ask is that you let me know what’s happening. I’d hate to pause my own training to go to Russia and drag information out of you…though, if you need anything, I don’t want you to hesitate to call me either. You’re my friend, so if you need anything at all…”

“I promise. If I need anything, I’ll call. I know that I can count on you. I’ll let you know what I decide.”

“I’ll support you either way. But Victor, don’t make a choice that you’ll end up regretting in the end. Think long and hard about your choices and their consequences. Now is not the time to act rashly. It’ll only hurt more in the end.”

Victor nodded. He knew the words his friend spoke made sense. Right now, he didn’t want to think about this…about the choice he’d have to make and their consequences. Right now he wanted to sleep skate the day after tomorrow. At least he’d have a day to get himself together and focus on his skating.

“I’m sure you want to rest right now, but if you want me to stay…” Chris hesitated.

“No, I think…I need to be alone for a while. I can’t do anything right now about this while I’m in Japan. I’m going to just try and focus on the free skate and then shift my attention to this when I get home in a few days. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Chris nodded. “All right then. I’m just a few doors away, so if you change your mind call me. If not, I’ll see you at practice in the morning. Try and get something that’ll be light on your stomach for breakfast. You’ll need the energy and something your body won’t throw up while you practice.”

Chris began to gather up the trash, putting it back in the bag before packing it up. Victor watched him, trying to figure out what to say. If it weren’t for Chris, he never would have realized what happened to him.

“Chris, thank you.” He spoke softly. “I mean that. This may not be what I wanted to hear at the moment, but if it weren’t for you, I’d still be in denial about everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Victor. After all, this is what friends do for each other. Anytime you need help, all you have to do is ask.”

Chris smiled softly, warmly at his fellow Omega before heading out with a two fingered salute. Victor watched him go, not moving until the door shut behind him. He got off the floor and onto the bed. Laying on his back, he glanced up at the ceiling, eyes following the swirly patterns above him.

He still didn’t want to think about the fact that there might be a life inside of his body. He’d been reckless and foolish when it came down to sleeping with Yuri. They should have used protection, but Victor seriously didn’t think that he could get pregnant out of heat so it didn’t seem necessary, but now he wished he had. The problem with that, he’d been so enamored with Yuri Katsuki and because of that, he didn’t take care. Still, Yuri sparked something inside of him that no one else did before. Since that night, his inner Omega mourned the ‘loss’ of its potential mate and Victor felt as though he needed to see the man again to be okay. He needed to talk to Yuri again, tell the Alpha his intentions towards him, though at this point he doubted he’d be able to leave if he saw Yuri again.

His fingertips stroked lightly over the fabric covering his stomach. It still lay flat and Victor had a hard time imagining what he’d look like round with child. He’d seen a handful of pregnant male Omegas, but had a hard time imagining it in himself. Being focused on his career, he often wondered if he’d ever carry and bear children. Not being able to have any sort of long term relationship, he didn’t think it possible. He’d dreamed of the possibility for a long time though he knew he couldn’t do it until he retired. Maybe now…with Yuri…

Eyes flew open at the revelation as he practically leapt off the bed to start pacing. He was seriously thinking about doing this. He didn’t even have a confirmation that he was pregnant and he had no idea how to contact Yuri. He knew he’d have to retire from skating. At his age, he didn’t see how he could come back after pregnancy, but he needed to figure out what else he could do instead. Right now he had plenty saved up, so if he planned to take a year off to have a child, he wouldn’t struggle, but he needed to figure out something. Once he announced his retirement, sponsors and investors would pull out, leaving him without any source of income.

He groaned out loud, running his hand over his face before bringing it down, catching his reflection in the mirror. He looked tired and maybe a bit paler than normal, but he couldn’t see any significant difference in his body. Flipping the hem of his shirt, he ran his free hand over his belly and abs. There could be a little life inside of him…and although he didn’t know it, he’d already made his decision.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the day of the free skate, Victor did his best to hide his nerves. He’d spent the rest of that night with Chris mulling over his options. He’d come to his own conclusions, but he’d been distracted so much the day before that Yakov, shouted at him and he just took it. He still couldn’t tell his coach what he’d found out. He needed more time to get everything straight. Still his coach seemed to notice something wasn’t right, eyeballing his star pupil warily. He stayed silent, watching from the sidelines…well, he did until Victor flubbed a jump during the warm up. 

“Vitya.” His gruff voice carrying a hint of warning to it. “You’re not acting like your normal self. Is there something you want to tell me?”

Victor plastered a smile on his face, trying to sound cheerful as he replied. “Not really. I’ve had a lot on my mind, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

Yakov didn’t look convinced. “You’ve had a lot on your mind since the Grand Prix Final. Whatever is going on better resolve itself soon or you’re not going to be able to concentrate on next season.”

Victor felt the knot lodge in his throat. He managed to nod, turning to look away from his coach. His next season might be never, not that he had the heart to admit that to his coach. Not now…not yet. He wanted to, but not until he knew for sure.

Instead, he tried to focus on watching the routines of his competitors. He usually went last going into the free skate, so he had plenty of time to try to get his head focused on his own routine. When his turn came up, he moved out to the center of the ice, smiling out at the crowd as he took his starting position. He waited, taking a deep breath before the first note sounded, moved him in a familiar dance.

Out on the ice he felt joy, he felt peace. This particular routine spoke of his loneliness and longing. His body moved fluidly…more so than it ever had before. He thought long and hard the night before and knew that if this would be his last dance, he wanted to make sure that it counted…that his career ended on a high note. He nailed jump after jump, glided through his step sequences, and executed his spins with a grace only he could pull off.

All to soon the music came to an end and Victor had his arms folded high as he looked up at the ceiling. He felt grateful for the pose, holding it longer as his eyes filled up with tears. He’d done it. He’d hold his head high and performed a flawless program, but he felt the crushing weight of finality. He didn’t want to go to the kiss and cry…because it meant that this part of his life ended.

Still he went. He’d hold his head up high and proud. Yakov looked exceptionally pleased and rink mates gathered to congratulate him. The fans cheered and Victor composed himself enough to be happy towards them, smiling and waving as he went to await his score. When the score got announced, Victor’s heart pounded. A personal best…meaning he broke another record. Yakov congratulated him, but Victor didn’t hear it. Instead a dull numbness spread through his head and suddenly, he wanted to be alone to cry.

He didn’t get the chance until hours later when he returned to his hotel room. His body felt sluggish and exhausted, his mind still jumbled chaos that he couldn’t quiet no matter how much he tried. Going to the bed, he flopped uncaring of the consequences. Pulling a pillow close, he buried his face in it before the first sob escaped him. He didn’t no how long he cried for, but eventually he fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of everything and nothing.

When he woke, he realized he wasn’t alone. Chris sat over at the table, tablet in hand. He appeared to be reading, glasses on his face as they scanned over words on a screen. After a few moments, he peered over the top at Victor, going still once he realized his friend lay awake watching him.

“Oh good, you’re awake. Yakov came to get you for the banquet a few hours ago, but no one could wake you. We were all a little worried, but decided to let you sleep and and take you to the hospital in the morning if nothing changed. How are you feeling?”

“I’d be lying if I said I felt all right.” Victor admitted. “I feel like I’ve lost something important to me…something precious.”

“Victor, maybe you shouldn’t wait to see a doctor. It sounds like hormones running amok. Pregnant or not, that’s something to be concerned about.”

“I leave for St. Petersburg tomorrow morning and I’ve already made an appointment with my doctor for the day after. It’s safer for me to wait, even if I feel horrible.” 

“I’m only asking because you’re my friend, but would you like me to come with you? You’re not yourself right now and it’s concerning.”

Victor sighed. Of course Chris noticed. “Yakov said the same thing. I think not knowing anything is driving me crazy. Once I know for sure, I’ll be fine. I have to be.”

“Sounds like you’ve made up your mind. I’m going to go tell Yakov you’re awake, but feeling a little sick. I’m sure he’ll want you to rest some more, so he may or may not come to check on you.”

“I can just text him.” Victor responded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I just don’t want to be alone right now.”

Chris’ expression softened. “All right. I’ll stay, but I’m not sleeping on the couch or the floor. They’re bad for my back. You’re going to have to share the bed.”

Victor smiled the first real smile he’d shown in days, amused by his friend’s boldness. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lengthy flight back to St. Petersburg had Victor on edge. He still struggled with his nausea. Plus, after sleeping for so long, Yakov watched him like a hawk. The man didn’t say anything to him, instead trying to reign in the junior champion, Yuri Plisetski, who complained in the seat in front of them. With Yakov’s attention divided, Victor tried his best to keep his mind occupied, finding it difficult. Usually, he slept, but he couldn’t quiet his mind long enough to do that.

When they landed, Yakov finally cornered him about feeling under the weather. He told his coach he’d be taking a couple of days off to get some rest, letting his coach believe he’d overworked himself lately in preparation for the final. Yakov still didn’t look convinced and told him to go see a doctor if it got worse. He wanted him at the rink in top form to get an early start on his routines. Unbeknownst to his coach, Victor had already choreographed a pair of short programs, unsure of which one he wanted to skate to, but they might go to someone else now. He just blew his coach off with a carefree response, but it came out more tired and forced than anything else. Yakov gave him a once over before shaking his head and walking away to shout at Yuri.

Victor never felt more grateful for the next day to come. He felt more stir crazy in his own apartment even though Makkachin greeted him with an enthusiastic bark and excitable jumping. Victor had to force her down, aware that an accident could happen even if his beloved companion jumped on him constantly.

“Nyet, Makkachin. We’re going to have to stop that for a while.” He bent down to scratch the poodle behind both ears. Makkachin sat down, tail wagging and tongue falling out of her mouth. Victor moved past her to go flop on the couch. It didn’t take long for his fury companion to come join him. Makka normally laid on top of him without hesitation, but he made a soft sound, sniffing around Victor’s belly causing him to go still. Could Makka smell the change?

Gently, Makkachin laid her head down on Victor’s stomach with a whine. Victor reached up to scratch her gently. “I know, but I can’t change what’s happened. I’ll need your help in a few months. Having a little one around might be hard and I’m not sure if its’ papa will be around to help too.”

Saying the words out loud, his thoughts turned to Yuri. He’d made an attempt to contact Yuri’s coach before he left Worlds. He’d hoped that Celestino could point him in the right direction and get Yuri to talk to him. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the response he wanted. Celestino did respond, though, saying Yuri had exams coming up for graduation and his focus had shifted to that. He promised to let Yuri know when he came back to skating.

Victor didn’t want to wait, but he knew he’d have to. He couldn’t rush this if he wanted to be with Yuri. For now, he’d have to wait for Yuri to contact him. He already he’d have a lot of things he wanted to tell Yuri.

Trying to get his mind off things, he began to write a letter. It looked a little old fashioned, but he wanted to get his thoughts down in a way that no one but Yuri could see them. He’d talk to Yuri at some point, but this way he could make sure he’d get his thoughts down and nothing he wanted to say would get missed in the end. Once he finished, he put it in an envelope and set it someplace safe where he knew where it was later.

Stretching to get the kinks out of his body, he made the decision to try to get some sleep. It wouldn’t come easily, but he had to try. He had a busy day tomorrow and get confirmation on just how much his life would change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Victor sat on the couch, knees back up to his chest as he stared out at the fading sunset. He’d been in the same position for hours, body staring at the wall, looking, but not seeing. He had pamphlets and packets with every possible option on the coffee table in front of him. His doctor had confirmed everything…his pregnancy and the timetable. He’d conceived in Sochi and now he didn’t know what to do.

He thought he’d been prepared for this. Deep down he’d known…could feel it even though he tried to deny it. He’d known the possibility existed, knew what it could mean, but avoided thinking about it because he knew he faced the consequences of the choice he made.

Picking up his phone, he made a video call to the one person who knew about all this. He needed to talk, to get this out. Chris did say that he wanted to be updated, plus he’s the only one that Victor knew who he could turn to unconditionally.

Chris picked up on the first few rings. His greeting soothing Victor from the frantic emotions he felt.

“Chris.” He spoke the man’s name, voice cracking when his friend came into view.

“Is everything all right? You look terrible.”

“Yes…no…I don’t know.” Victor admitted.

“Your doctor confirmed it, didn’t she?” Victor watched as Chris moved something out of his way and took a seat on the couch. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”

“A little. I just don’t know how to feel about all this yet. I don’t know what to do. If I keep the baby, my career will be over. There’s no guarantee I can return after having a child and so many people keep saying I’m at retirement age already. On the other hand…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“On the other hand, if you decide to get an abortion to keep your career, you don’t know if you’ll ever forgive yourself for choosing your career over a child.” Victor could see Chris’ exasperated expression. “You do know that I’m not exactly qualified to tackle this. I might be an Omega, but I’ve never viewed having children in the same way as you have. What I do know is the fact that you’re lonely, but you also feel as though skating is all that you have. You’ve always longed for a family Victor. I remember those late night bar runs where we used to talk about our futures and every time you always had your dreams of having a family…a mate and children that you could coach one day to skate on the ice like you.”

Victor couldn’t help the slightly sad smile that crossed his face at the memory. “You used to curse me that my kids would all hate ice skating and never make it to competition.”

“I did, but it that’s what you’re taking away from what I just said, you’re missing the point.” Chris sounded skeptical and Victor took a deep breath.

“You’re basically telling me I should keep the baby.”

“No, I’m telling you to consider the possibility. We’re both getting up there in age Victor. In three years, I’ll be the same age as you and even now I’m contemplating retirement before then. How many seasons do you think you have left in you knowing the toll skating takes on our bodies? I can’t make the decision for you, Victor. No one can, but if we’re thinking and talking about the rationality of your options, would you really trade a lifetime with a child, something you’ve wanted for a long time, for a few more years on the ice. Will your regrets be what break you and your Omega?”

“But, Yuri…I haven’t talked to Yuri. I need to talk to him before I…”

“Victor, stop thinking with your Omega brain and listen to me. Forget about Yuri Katsuki for a moment. This is your life, your career, and your body we’re talking about. You and Yuri owe each other nothing and although I don’t think he’s the type of Alpha to abandon and Omega in need, there’s never a guarantee that he’ll come running if you tell him. You have to make a decision solely based on what you want, because there is very much a reality in which you will find yourself raising this child alone. You were both drunk and made stupid decisions that night. At some point, you’re going to have to grow up and face the reality of everything you’ve done and make that hard call.”

Victor’s heart ached at the thought and his instincts howled in denial. He didn’t want to think about doing this alone, wanted to have faith in Yuri, but he knew Chris had a point. Though, he was wrong about one thing.

“Chris, I wasn’t drunk that night. A little tipsy, but not drunk.”

Chris looked shocked. “Victor, if you’re implying that you let your Omega have free reign over your emotions, had unprotected sex with an alpha you barely know and who lives and trains hundreds of miles away, and I can already tell your Omega half is already very much attached to the point that it’s struggling…then, you my friend, are turning into one of the most scandalizing Omega I know and you’ve created so many complications for yourself.”

“I’ll say this a thousand times over until it sinks in…as your friend, I plan on being there for you no matter what, but you need to decide. I’m going to tell you again what I told you at Worlds. Take a few days and really think about your options and this time tell Yakov so he’s not blindsided by all this. Go to a male Omega specialist and get a check up on the baby in case you decide you want to keep it…and let me know. Worst case scenario, I’ll move to Russia for the season, provided Yakov will let me use his facilities to train.”

“I’m sure he would if I asked.” Victor admitted. “And I know I made a stupid mistake. I took things too far because I felt lonely. You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know or anything you haven’t said before. I feel like I’m drowning right now, and it’s so overwhelming that I…I guess I just feel lost.”

“That’s it! I’m coming to St. Petersburg and you can’t stop me. I’ve got about a month to figure out what I’m telling my coach, but I’m not going to leave you alone. Don’t do anything stupid, Victor and I’ll be there in a day or two.” Chris stood up and began strolling down the hall to his room. Victor stayed on the line while he turned on his laptop, yanked his suitcase from out of the closet and started to throw in things that he’d need.”

“Chris you don’t have…”

“If you finish that statement Victor, I am going to scream and not in a fun way. You’re clearly depressed and not thinking completely rationally at the moment. I’m going to come and make sure you don’t do something that will make me have to search for a new best friend. I’m worried and that’s reason enough for me to come and that’s final. You’re just going to have to put up with it whether you like it or not.”

“Chris…I…thank you.”

“You’re going to owe me one, Victor. I expect you to take me sightseeing in St. Petersburg while I’m there and you have to host my cat. Hope Makkachin likes him.” Chris added, throwing a pair of outfits into his suitcase, before moving over to his laptop to order a plane ticket.

He kept muttering to himself about the cost of the ticket and how much Victor was going to owe him when a little alert on a sports app popped up at the top of Victor’s phone. Victor glanced up at it, freezing as he read the headline. He felt all the color drain from his face as he read the line over and over again. It took a moment for Chris to notice his friends stricken expression.

“Victor? What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“He’s retiring.” Victor managed to get out, voice cracking.

“Who’s retiring?”

One name passed over Victor’s lips, hurting him to say it. “Yuri.”

Chris paused clicking on something on his computer and typing away, pulling up some trashy news site and clicked on the article.

“Posted five minutes ago. Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki has announced his retirement from the world of professional figure skating to focus on family and other pursuits. This falls just after Katsuki fell into last place at the Grand Prix Final and an upset at the Japanese Nationals. His coach Celestino Caldini made the announcement this morning at a press conference held at the Detroit Skate Club where Katsuki was sponsored and trained. Katsuki was not in attendance.” Chris paused, eyes scanning over the article.

“It just goes on to talk about his nerves and how he’s originally from a small town in Japan. Not much else to say about any of that.” He glanced back over at his friend. “Victor, this doesn’t mean the world is ending or that you’ll never see him again. If anything he might have more time to come and talk to you now. Wait until I get there and we’ll figure out a way to contact Yuri and see if he’s willing to talk.”

Victor could only nod, the lump deep in his throat threatening to choke him. Yuri had left skating and now Victor had no real reason to go back. Instead his hand went to cover his still flat belly. He rubbed his hand over the area and lay back on the couch. “Chris, I think I want to have the baby.”

“Well, wait until I get there before you make another rash decision. My flight will be there tonight and we can discuss it then.”

“Okay, do you need me to pick from the airport?”

“No, you lay down and get some rest. You look like you need it. I’ll see you in a little while, all right.”

Victor nodded and Chris cut the call, probably to finish packing. Victor rolled over on his side and contemplated if he wanted to move. Deciding he was just fine where he lay, he closed his eyes. He felt physically and emotionally drained, so it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. When Chris walked into his apartment hours later, not even the barking of Makkachin greeting the Swiss skater could wake him. Chris simply picked up the Russian skater and carried him to his room, making sure to cover him with a blanket after resting his head on the pillow. Brushing back the silver hair from the older man’s face, Chris sighed, not quite sure what to do with himself now that he was here.

“We’ll get through this Victor. You’re not alone now and we’ll be just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Chapter 2...I do want to say at this point that there will be repercussions for Victor's little confession to Chris. When I was working with my artist, she had some concerns on where I was taking the story, but I assure you that I am in no way glorifying anything and it will come back to bite Victor in the end. We're just beginning our descent into a dark place and you will all know when shit hits that fan. That being said, I see Victor and Yuri as soulmates in ways that few people are, so there will be a happy ending, I promise. It just takes time to wade through that shit that is life to get there sometimes. Hope you'll continue to stick with me through the rough stuff to get to the end. Please mind the tags and let me know what you think.
> 
> Also, the song choice...I wrote this before Chester passed, but I still wanted to use the song, so consider this my little tribute to him!
> 
> I will say one more thing, I do not tolerate bullying or nastiness of any sort. If you can't be grown up and adult about a fan work, me expressing my creativeness and my opinions, then don't comment and stop reading now. I've had family and friends go through cyber bullying and I don't tolerate it. You have the choice to walk away and I'm asking you to do so. While I won't rise to any nasty notes, I also hope not to see them at all. Don't like it, don't read it, mind the tags and don't bother me. Thank you!
> 
> Chapter 3 will be up in a bit!


	3. But You'll Never See The End of the Road While You're Traveling With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been four years since Yuri retired. Life is simple and he has a few regrets, but a pair of visitors and opportunity come knocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I found out about two hours ago that I've been spelling Phichit's name wrong this entire time...LOL. Anway, the edits for this actually did stay, just had to make a minor tweaks and some formatting in AO3. Enjoy!

_There is Freedom Within, There is Freedom Without_  
_Try to Catch the Deluge in a Paper Cup_  
 _There's a Battle Ahead, Many Battles Are Lost_  
 _But You'll Never See the End of the Road_  
 _While You're Traveling With Me_

 (Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House)

 

Four Years Later…

The rhythmic sounds of feet hitting the concrete sounded loud in the early morning air. The sun just barely lighting up the sky as the sleepy town of Hasetsu stirred to begin another day. A mere handful of people walked out, nodding to the early morning jogger as he passed. He’d nod back, waving if he knew the person well before continuing down the familiar path that led just below the castle the town was known for.

The jogger bolted up the steps, keeping up his pace as he made it to the the top and shifted to walking to calm his racing heart. He made it over to the bench where he’d left his backpack earlier, pulling out his water and taking a sip. The hood of his jacket fell back to reveal a messy mop of dark hair and thick rimmed blue glasses. He continued to move, walking back and forth as he caught his breath.

This had started as a routine a few years back…the early morning runs and other exercises in a little park below Hasetsu Castle. When Yuri had first returned to his home town, he questioned his decision to retire, wondering if it wasn’t too late to undo what he’d already done. Still, he knew he’d disappointed Celestino enough and that the man should put his time and effort into someone more worthy whose nerves wouldn’t keep them from taking a spot on the podium. Being surrounded by his family and his friends had helped him a little. They supported him while he sorted through what he wanted to do, and when he decided to stay home, they welcomed him back with open arms.

His routine had changed, from training to helping around his family’s inn or Minako’s dance studio to keep busy. It was his dance teacher that suggested that he start getting back into shape, more for his health than anything else. He’s started to get back into a routine to keep his weight down, adding dance and even going back to the rink to skate from time to time…especially when his mind became a jumbled mess.

Coming back home had given him a reason to go back to skating. In all the stress and nerves that came with competition, Yuri had lost his love for the sport. He felt like such a failure, so the first time he managed to get up the nerves to go up to Ice Castle, he skated his heart out. He could feel the passion and love for the sport return, even if he’d decided to bow out. His childhood friend who helped manage the rink suggested that he start working there part time. It took a while for Yuri to consider it, but ultimately, he did it to bring a little extra income into the inn.

Up until he returned, many people were leaving Hasetsu. It didn’t have much to offer in the ways of work or anything fancy, but the town itself was picturesque, quaint and quiet like the little towns you read about in stories. There wasn’t much tourism to see Hasetsu Castle anymore, but the town still did all right for itself. In the last two years, things had improved and when asked by local officials, Yuri had done a little bit of promotional work to try and bring some excitement back to the town. It’d been a bit embarrassing, but thankfully, it had worked out well. The advertising brought in a string of newcomers to the area, both tourists and people who’d come in to survey the town and improve it for better things. It hadn’t lost it’s charm in the slightest, but good things were happening to bring business and commerce back.

Yuri’s schedule became busy, sometimes hectic. While his main focus came down to helping to run Yutopia, his time and energy also went to teaching young skaters at the rink and dancers with Minako. His parents and sister were supportive of him, wanting him to find some happiness.

Despite growing up in the inn, Mari had a better grasp on where things stood on the inn and what the customer’s wanted. Yuri’s education gave him a better idea on the business side of things. They both worked hard to take some of the burden off their aging parents, not that Hiroko and Toshiya Katsuki slacked off in the slightest. They worked well together as a family and considering they had the last operating hot spring inn in the area, said something about how much people enjoyed their hospitality. Recently, they’d done some minor renovations with the extra income Yuri brought in, fixing things they couldn’t before and replacing a few appliances for something better.

Yuri moved into stretching as the sun rose higher on the horizon. Mentally, he ran through his schedule for the day, quickly realizing that he didn’t have any lessons for the day. They weren’t expecting to be busy at the inn either, but that didn’t mean he could slack off at all. He’d stay out a bit longer, heading back to help with the breakfast rush. He debated going to the rink for a little bit, knowing his family would understand, but something told him he should probably head back.

He finished up his workout and picked up his bag, putting his headphones in before jogging back towards the inn. His steps matched the beat of the music in his ears, helping him to get back in no time. One of the things he enjoyed about running was how much it took his mind off of things…losing himself to the music and the movement of his body. He didn’t think about his responsibilities or failures…only relaxing by physically getting rid of his frustrations.

When he returned to the inn, he went in through the guest entrance. After his run he needed a bath. The hot spring wasn’t open to guests yet, so he could bathe and get ready for the day. He slipped off his shoes, taking out his headphones, and stripping his jacket off. He started to move deeper into the inn when a pair of hands came around his face, sliding under his glasses to cover his eyes. Out of reflex, he elbowed the person behind him causing his glasses to fall off as he spun around to face the person who startled him.

“Wow, is this how you greet your best friend after I came all this way to see you?” A familiar voice teased, only a little fazed by the hit to his gut.

“Phichit?” Yuri stood in shock, staring dumbfounded at the other man. “What are you doing here?”

Phichit laughed. “I came to see you. We talk all the time, but I haven’t seen you in four years and I got tired of waiting for you to come and visit me.”

Yuri could see Phichit’s bags just outside the doorway. The Thai skater even brought his beloved hamsters along in a pet carrier, not an easy feat traveling from Bangkok where he’d been training. Not only that, but Yuri noticed that Phichit wore a brace over his right knee. When Phichit saw him staring he patted the side of the brace.

“Yeah, I’m out for the season. I had that nasty fall a few weeks back. Come to find out it was worse than it actually was. I had to have surgery on it, but I didn’t want to tell you so you didn’t have something else to worry about. Celestino knows I’m out, says we’ll just have to work harder next season to get me back on the podium. Plus it gave me some time to take a real vacation. What better way to spend it than have you show me around Japan. I’ve always wanted to see all the sights, plus you gotta take me to that Island with all the rabbits. I want to get trampled by all the cuteness, so we’re doing that.”

This time it was Yuri’s turn to laugh. Just the mental image of his friend being swarmed by wild rabbits was too funny to pass up on, and he laughed until tears started to fill up his eyes. It took a moment for him to get his laughter under control though Pichit just stood there and let him laugh, a smile plastered on his good natured face. “It’s good to see you laugh again. You’re going to have to catch me up on what’s been going on, though I think I need to adjust to the time difference a little bit. Plus, I need a bath. Airports and trains are nice and all, but I feel a little disgusting after traveling.”

“Well, I just got done my morning run, so I need one myself. Come on, let’s find you a room and I can get you into the onsen early.

Phichit cheered at that, always wanting to try out a traditional bath after Yuri explained what life was like growing up in the inn when they’d been room mates. Yuri found Phichit a room fairly easily and went down to the baths, showing Phichit how to clean up before they could actually go into the spring itself.

They took a while to catch up. Even though they spoke at least once a week either on the phone or video chat, some things were better off discussed in person. Phichit talked about training back in Thailand and the extent of his injury, while Yuri caught Phichit up on his routine now that he’d been back home.

Eventually, they wound up heading into the main house and up to Yuri’s bedroom. With the arrival of Phichit, Yuri’s family insisted he take the next couple of days off to spend time with him. They already seemed to know that his friend was coming, wanting to surprise him and get him to take a break. Even Yuko and Minako texted him to say they had his classes for the next couple of days and to have fun. That meant that they wound up lounging around, trying to think of something to do before all of Phichit’s energy from traveling and the time change wore down.

“I know.” Phichit exclaimed sitting upright on Yuri’s bed where’d he flopped, scrolling through his phone. “You used to talk about the castle here. I want to see it! Can we go? I want to take pictures and I even brought my selfie stick so you don’t have to take any.”

Yuri couldn’t help the smile creep over his face. Phichit was always excitable and had plenty of energy to burn on any normal day. His excitement often bled out to others around him, infecting them with the same kind of energy. Yuri lived with Phichit for years while they skated, so he knew best to hang around him when he felt especially down.

“It’s a little bit of a hike and it’s not exactly a castle. More like a facade with a ninja house inside, if you feel up for it.”

“Well, come on then, let’s go!”

Phichit yanked him up out of his chair, pulling him out of the room and down the hallway towards the door. Yuri tried to tell Phichit to wait…that they didn’t have to rush, but nothing was going to stop the Thai skater from dragging him towards the door. They both had to stop and put shoes on, but as soon as Yuri slipped his on, they were out the door again.

It wasn’t until Phichit started to drag him down the street in the wrong direction that Yuri managed to dig his heels in and stop his overly excited companion.

“The castle’s the other way.” Yuri groaned. “How about you let me lead the way until you get to know the area.”

Phichit managed to laugh nervously at his blunder, before agreeing to follow Yuri. Phichit rattled off a few more things that they hadn’t gotten around to talking about and Yuri listened. Yuri missed the ease at which he and Phichit clicked…opposites in many ways and yet they worked well together.

When they reached the castle, Phichit began to take picture after picture, pausing to upload a few to the Internet for his many followers to enjoy. Yuri felt content to watch Phichit in his element, interacting with friends and fans alike.

It was almost draining to watch after a while, but Yuri waited patiently for Phichit to finish before Yuri decided to get a couple of drinks and head back down to the benches where he worked out just that morning.

“Wow, this is a great spot.” Phichit said as they shared one of the benches. “It’s got a great view.”

“I hang out here all the time, usually when I want to clear my head. Not too many people come around here, so it’s quiet and I can do some of my work outs in peace.”

“Of course that’s why you like it.” Phichit rolled his eyes, something he picked up while they lived in Detroit. “I can see why. It’s a good space and a little secluded. You did always like to find a quiet place when your nerves had you thinking too much.”

“I always knew about this place growing up, but I usually want to my dance instructor’s studio or the ice rink to clear my head. When my therapist suggested taking a break from the ice to re-evaluate my priorities, I focused on losing all the weight I gained and I started coming here because I knew my stuff wouldn’t get stolen if I put it under a bench or something. I’ve gone back to the rink more now since I never really wanted to give it up in the first place. I just couldn’t get over my nerves or the stress of competition, but this place is still somewhere I can go if I want to be alone.”

Phichit put a hand on Yuri’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, you know. For the record, I still have faith that you could have come back and been amazing, but even though you didn’t, you’ve still come a long way from where you were four years ago. You’re such a strong person, Yuri. Much stronger than you give yourself credit for, though I understand why you didn’t want to come back. Still, I’ve been wondering about something lately.

“What’s that?” Yuri said and he could see now that Phichit looked a little vulnerable and nervous. He hesitated for a moment, something odd for Phichit’s personality before he just came out with what was on his mind.

“I wanted to ask…why didn’t you take Celestino up on his offer?”

Yuri froze fighting the mixed look of horror and embarrassment that crossed his face. Of course Phichit knew about that. He was pretty sure Celestino must have consulted Phichit on asking Yuri, or at least warning him that he’d offered Yuri a job. He took a few calming breaths trying to focus his thoughts through his sudden nerves. This was his best friend and they could talk about anything and no judgment came between them.

“After everything that happened, I wasn’t ready to come back. Everything was still so raw…the failure at the Grand Prix Final and then Nationals. I lost my love for skating for a while there and I came home hoping to find it. Skating was the one thing I loved, it relaxed me more than anything else, though I became a wreck during competitions. When he asked…I wasn’t ready to come back to that. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to go back. I don’t know how to be a coach.”

“Of course you know how to be a coach. You were the one person everyone knew they could go to for advice and you gave it freely. We all noticed, even Ciao Ciao in his own way. He didn’t want you to leave competition, but he knew why you felt like you had to, so he offered an alternative. Trust me, you would have been an amazing coach.”

“You all deserve better than some dime a dozen skater who chokes when it counts.”

Phichit plugged his ears. “Nope, not going to happen. I’m not going to listen to an amazing skater and my friend put himself down like that. You’re amazing and I’m sure if you asked Ciao Ciao, he’d still want you for the job. Seriously Yuri, consider it again. Weigh the pros and cons and if you decide it’s what you want, I’ll reach out to Celestino for you. Trust me, everyone will be so happy to have you back.”

“Fine. I’ll think about it, but I’m not going to make any promises. Okay?”

Phichit’s face lit up as he practically tackled Yuri. Yuri thought his friends reaction was a bit much for promising to think about it. But he knew Phichit normally reacted like this. He didn’t hold on for long, pulling back to pull out his phone to flip through his pictures from the castle. Yuri turned to look out over the city when Phichit made a soft sound of excitement.

“They’re so cute!” Phichit exclaimed, shoving his phone into Yuri’s face, excitedly. “Aren’t they cute?”

Yuri had to take Phichit’s phone from him to look down at the picture, a sudden knot in his throat and his heart began to pound. He was looking at a picture of Victor Nikiforov and his twin children. The little boy was the spitting image of his father standing stoically by Victor’s side while his slightly older sister balanced on bricks surrounding a flower bed. She held her arms out to her side, one leg behind her as her heart shapes smile made her the center of attention. Her jet black hair, pulled back into an intricate French braid, was the only clue to the great mystery of the Alpha who sired her.

Yuri always had a strange sense of longing when he looked at the Nikiforov twins, so he turned away to study the face of the man who’d been his idol for years. Even Yuri could see just how tired Victor looked even though he hid his eyes behind dark sunglasses. The way he held his body spoke as much as anything else and his smile, while genuine, held that slight edge to it. There was a definite slump in his shoulders as he held on to a child’s purple backpack in one hand and coffee in the other.

Despite that, the man looked good. Victor had always been someone that Yuri admired and even had a few secret fantasies over the years. He’d met the man once in his entire career and Victor had asked if he wanted an autograph. Crushed that his idol though of him as nothing more than a fan, he’d walked away and gotten entirely too drunk that night at the banquet before coming home bitter in his defeat. Now he wished he’d at least talked to the man, maybe even got that autograph.

“You’re staring at Victor again, aren’t you?” Phichit’s voice startled him and he nearly dropped the phone, fumbling as it tumbled between his fingers before finally getting a good grip on it. His cheeks felt warm and he knew he’d been caught. “It’s okay if you are. I know you still have a crush on him.”

The warmth turned into a burn. “Yeah, and that’s all it’s going to be. I’ve never spoken to him and he’s so far beyond my reach I probably never will.”

“You could if you came back to coach.” Phichit’s voice hinted at something more. “It just hit the news yesterday that he’s agreed to come back to skating…as a coach under his old skating coach. Apparently, Yakov Feltsman is putting him in charge of Yuri Plisetski and Otabek Altin.”

Yuri just stared at Phichit in surprise. Shortly after Yuri announced his own retirement, Victor announced that he was planning on taking a year off to sort through some personal issues. It didn’t take too long for a picture to go public of Victor leaving the office of a doctor who specialized in male Omega pregnancy.

While every news outlet and fans speculated, Victor had remained stoically silent and out of the spotlight until he’d been caught out and about again a few months later shopping with his best friend, Christophe Giacometti. This time the baby bump was telling and confirmed everyone’s speculations. Victor Nikiforov was pregnant and the media exploded with who could be the father of Victor’s children. Once again, Victor refused to comment on such things and neither would anyone associated with Victor.

The whole thing remained a mystery to this day as Victor seemed to be raising his children mostly on his own. Yuri had heard that Chris had moved in with Victor shortly after he retired a year later, but when asked, the man insisted he wasn’t the father of Victor’s twins. He just wanted to help his friend in his time of need.

Once the twins were born, Victor finally announced he wasn’t returning to compete, taking time to raise his children, though he’d agreed to stay on in a temporary advisory roll under Coach Feltsman. Rumors came out last year that he might have choreographed Yuri Plisetski’s short program last year, but no one really knew for sure.

It made sense to Yuri that he’d eventually come back to skating though. Victor was the kind of person who belonged on the ice, even if only temporary. Yuri knew from watching him just how much of himself Victor put into his routines and had tried to emulate the same thing for many years growing up.

Victor never ceased to surprise him. After all this time, he still managed to shock everyone off the ice even without meaning to. To hear that he was returning to coach…well it surprised him that Victor would return after being adamant about raising his family. The twins were only three, though from what Yuri had heard, they were both very happy children, polite and well rounded for their age.

“Come on Yuri. Think about it. Victor’s coaching this year. You could get another shot to talk to him.”

“I don’t know Phichit. The one time he said anything to me, he thought I was a fan and asked me if I wanted an autograph. Besides, I doubt he wants an Alpha like me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Phichit frowned. “You’re kind, honest, hard working, and good looking. Come on Yuri, any Omega would be lucky to have you as their Alpha. Don’t give up and don’t talk down about yourself all the time.”

Yuri flushed again at Phichit’s words. He didn’t believe any of them about himself, but hearing those words still made him feel a little bit better. Phichit might have been bias, but he still knew what to say to make him feel better.

“You know what, I’m getting hungry. Let’s go find something to eat…my treat.”

“You know we could always head back to the inn. I’d be keeping another promise by getting you to try Katsudon. That way if you want to lay down for a bit after we’re done eating, we’ll already be back at the inn.”

Phichit hummed. “You know what…you did promise I could try your favorite food if I ever came to visit. That sounds like a great idea.”

He threw his arm over Yuri’s shoulder, awkwardly pulling the man down the stairs of their resting spot and back the way they came. It seemed to take more time to get back as Phichit stopped to take pictures of the two of them, posting more pictures to his social media.

Yuri didn’t have the heart to stop him and besides, who’d care about him after he’s been out of the spotlight for years now. No one would be looking for him, and he was in just as good shape as he’d been when he competed, so it didn’t matter who saw him Online anymore. He was used to Phichit always taking and posting pictures to his social media, though sometimes Yuri could be more sensitive to it than others.

When they got back to the inn, Hiroko greeted them, a bright smile on her face. “Oh Yuri, you have another friend who just arrived. He says he knows you from when you were competing.”

Yuri glanced at Phichit, eyes curious. He met a number of people while he was skating so who knew who this could be. Phichit shrugged, just as in the dark as Yuri. “You wanna go see who it is?”

Yuri nodded and they stepped into the main dining room of the inn. No one stood out to Yuri, but a soft squeak of surprise caused Yuri to turn and look in the direction of the sound.

Sitting at one of the far tables, eyes sparkling with excitement and a smile that lit up his face. His light colored hair had a vibrant streak of red in it.  He looked young and vaguely familiar, though Yuri couldn’t place where he knew the boy from.

The boy got to his feet and nearly rushed over to take Yuri’s hands in his. Yuri felt awkward and he hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth to ask for an explanation when the boy beat him to it.

“I can’t believe it’s you. You’re really here!” He said excitedly, almost rambling. “I’ve wanted to come here for so long and meet you, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to, but now…”

The boy giggled childishly, his eyes wide as he looked at Yuri like he was someone important. Yuri’s face flushed for the second time that day as he tried to puzzle out so many things in his head. This boy had to be a skater, someone that Yuri must have met, but couldn’t remember from where. Glancing back at Phichit who followed him in, he saw his friend shrugged before stepping closer.

“Um…I’m afraid you kind of have an advantage over me. Do you want to tell me you name?” He finally asked hoping it didn’t sound too formal or too rude. The boy’s face fell a bit in disappointment, but it didn’t last long as he managed a small smile.

“Of course…you probably wouldn’t remember…I’m Kenjiro Minami. We went up against each other in competition at Nationals right before you retired. I’ve been a big fan of yours for a long time, Yuri. I had always hoped I could skate against you  one day and I was so disappointed when you retired, but now…” He stopped to giggle once more. “Now I get another shot.”

That didn’t do very much to end Yuri’s confusion. In fact, it only confused him more. He didn’t remember Minami for one, having been too wrapped up with his own abysmal performance at Nationals. He felt embarrassment creep up again knowing he was a fan. Yuri still didn’t know how to deal with fans and fame in general. Plus, he didn’t have that much confidence in himself as a skater, so the fact that someone aspired to be like him never crossed Yuri’s mind. That combined with the fact that he couldn’t tell what Minami was talking about left him confused.

“Get another shot at what?” Yuri asked in a daze, a little worried at what the answer might be.

“At getting to meet you…and I wanted to ask you something.” Minami said, switching to a more serious expression. “My current coach decided at the end of last season to take some time off to take care of a few things with her family. She’s been an amazing mentor and coach ever since she took me on when I was in the Junior division, so I understood when she said she needed the time off, but now…I’m left without a coach for this season. That’s why I came, Yuri.”

Yuri could feel all the color drain from his face at what Minami was implying. Surely the universe wouldn’t be this cruel to him, considering he’d just been discussing this with Phichit less than an hour ago. Still, he held his breath as Minami bowed down low, respectively.

“Yuri Katsuki, it would be an honor and a privilege if you would consider being my coach this season. I swear you won’t regret it. I’ll work hard to live up to your expectations and do my best to go for the gold in competitions. I also have compensation for your time and anything we might need, so please…”

Yuri felt a little faint, dizzy with the thoughts swirling in his head, but refusing to form anything coherent. After a few more moments, he saw Minami glance up at him, concern crossing his face. His lips moved, but Yuri didn’t hear what he said. Instead, it took a reassuring hand on his shoulder to ground him out of a panic attack.

“Yuri’s just fine, Minami. He just doesn’t do too well with surprises and you caught him a little off guard.” Phichit stepped in, winking at Yuri. The two of them seem to know each other and were comfortable speaking. Yuri still hadn’t found his voice, managing to nod as Phichit picked up where he left off. “I’m sure Yuri would love to think about your offer and think a few things over before he gives you an answer. Anyway, might we be able to get a copy of any legal documents you have regarding contracts and stuff for him to look over? That way he has a better idea of what he’s getting into.”

“Oh, of course.” Minami sounded excited as he went back over to the table. “I have a coaching contract already written out, a few other things I thought you might need, and a letter of recommendation from Kanako, my other coach. Please look these over and give me an answer when you’re ready, Yuri.”

Yuri took the folder Minami held out to him. His hands shook, though he managed a nod as he swallowed hard. Thankfully, Phichit was already covering for him again before practically pushing Yuri out of the room, out to the family quarters and up to Yuri’s room. Yuri barely managed to sit down on the bed, eyes focused on the folder in his hand before Phichit was babbling again.

“You see? Other people want you to be their coach…and Kenjiro Minami at that.”

“I have no idea who he is Pichit.” Yuri spoke, voice barely above a whisper. He sounded horrified even to himself. “Why would he want me to…”

“…to coach him?” Phichit finished. “Yuri, you are his idol like Victor is your idol. I know it’s hard to believe, but he got into skating after he saw you skate and when you retired, he became the number one skater in Japan. You can’t tell me you don’t remember meeting him or you haven’t at least heard his name before.”

“His name sounded vaguely familiar, but I really haven’t been keeping up with skating news. Once Victor announced his retirement…I guess I sort of lost interest. You’re the only person I ever thought to check up on, not that I really looked that hard. You’d always tell me what was going on and call me to ask if I watched you skate.”

“Trust me Yuri, this is a great opportunity. Minami almost made it to the Grand Prix Final last year. He lost by a single point and I honestly think his routine was so much better than the guy who went through. The two Japanese Aces fighting to bring the Gold back to their home country…it’d be a dream come true for anyone.”

Yuri ran a hand through his hair, tossing the paperwork aside before groaning and flopping back on the mattress. He didn’t know if he could do this. He had a little experience teaching, but coaching a competitive skater was different. They’d have to design routines for competition, pick music, and Yuri would be responsible for someone else's health and well being when he could barely keep his own life together.

“Yuri, talk to me. I can already see you’re starting to over think all this. I know it’s hard for you, but you’ve gotta talk to me or I can’t help.”

“I’m scared Phichit. I can barely keep myself together sometimes and I…I’m worried that all the pressure will just get to me again. I’ve already disappointed myself and ended my own career. I don’t want to be the reason Minami wants to question his. A few minutes on the ice with me and it’s all it’ll take for him to realize I’m not as great as he thinks I am.”

“Oh, Yuri.” Phichit said, sounding a little disappointed, but there was something else in his tone. “We keep going around in circles when it comes down to this, but did you ever stop to think that Minami is here because he wants to be. He’s seen you screw up, probably on TV and live at nationals, but he still came, still asked you to be his coach. I think he knows exactly the kind of person you are, but besides that, let me ask you something equally important. If it came down to it and you got to make the decision to go back, no stress, no strings attached, knowing there wasn’t any risk to doing this, what would your answer be?”

Yuri thought about it for a moment, took a few deep breaths to calm himself to think. “If there weren’t any risk involved, I’d probably say, yes.”

He missed skating. Missed the atmosphere, the peace it brought him. He hated that skating was now tangled with his feelings of regret and fear so thick it choked him sometimes. He wanted to try again, but didn’t want all the complications that came with it.

“Well, then let’s do this, together.”

Phichit’s words cut through the fog in his mind. He shot up to give his friend an odd look wanting to be sure he heard Phichit correctly. “What did you say?”

“Let’s do this together. I know you feel like you can’t do this on your own, and I like Minami. I’m out for this season, not really doing anything and you know how much I like to be at the events and stuff. We’ll put you down as his coach and I’ll be an assistant of sorts. While you’re helping Minami get ready for the season, I can be on the side lines helping however I can and I can do all the paperwork, deal with booking arrangements as we travel, and I can promote some stuff on social media. I promise I won’t go overboard, but we should give people something to look forward to. The best part is, I have a reason to stay and hang out with my best friend and as your friend, I feel the need to point out that this might be another chance for you to meet your idol. He’s coaching this year too, in case you forgot.”

Yuri hadn’t forgotten, but it wasn’t what he was focusing on at the moment. Could he manage to make it through the season with Phichit as his partner? Could he really come back and coach or would he screw up this second chance?

“Come on, Yuri. Say something, anything.” Phichit begged. “I’d really like to coach with you. I have complete faith in you, and I think you’d feel like you could do this if I was there to watch your back.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Yuri admitted. “It’s just…it’s all too much right now.”

“All right, I’ll give you that. How about we take a look at this paperwork and I can bring up some videos of Minami skating so you can see for yourself what you’ve got to work with. Then I’ll let you sleep on it and we can figure out things in the morning. Sound fair?”

Yuri agreed, if only to keep Phichit from badgering. He didn’t know how to do this, if he even could, but for the first time in a while, he felt lighter and that had to count for something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The absolute look of joy that filled Minami’s expression when Yuri gave him his answer a few days later made all the work he and Phichit had done the last few days worth it. He handed Minami his signed version of the contract, feeling a lot better than he had when Minami asked and at least a little bit more confidence. He’d talked to his family, Yuko and Pichit, even his therapist about his decision and they all agreed this would be a good thing for him. His therapist specifically told him to focus on what he could do and not worry about the what ifs. He had the strength to tackle things head on as they came up and with the support of his family and friends, she felt confident Yuri was taking a step in the right direction. That reassured him in ways his family or friends couldn’t and the promise that he could call anytime for advice if things got tough with his anxiety. He thanked her and tackled the first thing he needed to do….talk to Minami and agree to the contract terms.

“I can’t promise I’ll be the perfect coach.” Yuri admitted. “I don’t have the experience and I’m a little bit rusty being on the ice. It’s why I’ve asked Phichit to step in and assist me, but I’ve gone back over and watched some of your performances. I see a lot of my younger self in you.”

Minami gasped, practically choking on the air. “You mean it. You’re really going to be my coach.”

“If you still want me to be.” Yuri replied, wishing that little bit of doubt wouldn’t creep in on him.

“Yes, of course, yes.” Minami spluttered, talking to fast as he captured Yuri in a hug. “You don’t know how happy you’ve made me, Coach Katsuki. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Yuri huffed, biting back a laugh. It felt good to laugh and feel relaxed for once. “You can just call me, Yuri. I’m not really one for formalities and you didn’t have any problems doing it when you first got here. It’s fine, Minami.”

The skater practically squealed at the sound of his name, picking Yuri up and spinning him around. Yuri still felt a bit awkward, but he felt better that he made a decision and was sticking with it. Minami finally put him down and took a step back. “So, what’s the next step?”

“Well, I have to settle some things here, so I spoke to a friend of mine who manages the local rink. We’re going to see if it’s okay to use it as a practice rink for now. I hope that’s okay.” When he got no objections, Yuri continued. “If you need anything from home, any gear we can go get it or send for it.”

“I actually brought most of my stuff with me…whatever I thought I would need. I hoped you say yes, so I came prepared.” Minami’s tone got more and more excited as they talked.

“All right, then we need to figure out a workout schedule for you and head up to the rink. I want to see what jumps you can do and we can work on strengthening a few things. I’ve never actually choreographed a routine completely alone, so Phichit is going to help with that a bit. Do you have anything in mind for music or your theme for this year?”

“I have a few ideas I want to run by you, but I haven’t settled on anything yet.”

Yuri nodded, grateful that Minami had thought about something a little bit. It made his job easier. “Good, let’s figure some things out and get to work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact...I knew that Victor was going to wind up pregnant, but I couldn't figure out if I wanted a boy or a girl, so I constructed a son and a daughter, liked them both so much that one kid became twins. It's gonna take me a little bit to get the edits done as this next chapter is raw with no edits to it. 
> 
> It will be up in a little while, I promise as well as the link to the artwork that my partner/artist KC (shadhahvar on Tumblr) came up with. She did a fantastic job and I'm so looking forward to being able to share that with you guys.
> 
> Let me know what you think. I'd love to see some comments and thank you to everyone who's given me Kudos so far.


	4. Spend All That Time Waiting For That Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor has moved on and created a life for himself with his twins and build a new career as a coach. A sudden announcement changes everything and old pain and worries resurface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right...chapter four is done. I'm going to get on chapter five right after this and have it up in a little bit. 
> 
> I don't know how to embed artwork here on the archive, but I got permission to post my artist's work on my tumblr. Link at the bottom if you want to check it out!

_Spend All Your Time Waiting For That Second Chance_   
_For a Break That Would Make it Okay_   
_There's Always Some Reason to Feel Not Good Enough_   
_And It's Hard, at the End of the Day_

_I Need Some Distraction…Oh, Beautiful Release_   
_Memories Seep From My Veins and Maybe Empty_   
_Oh, and Weightless, and Maybe I'll Find Some Peace Tonight_

(Angel - Sarah McLachlan)

“Victor, you can either get up now, or I will send both of your little monsters in here to really give you a wake up call.”

The sound of a veiled threat, caused him to open up his eyes and glare up at his friend. Chris seemed entirely too smug for this early in the morning. The fact that the former Swiss skater was still in loose lounge pants, hair disheveled from sleep with glasses perched on his nose, meant that he was most likely going back to bed once everyone else in the house left for the day. His words also meant that the twins were up early, probably excited by the prospect of going to the rink and watching the skaters ‘dance’ on the ice.

“I hate you.” He murmured, throwing the covers back over his head with a groan.

“Hate yourself today. It’s not my fault that you promised Yuri and Otabek that you’d be at the rink early this morning and I’d rather not have to wait around for a repairman to fix the door again. I guarantee you Plisestki will kick it down again if you fail to show up between the time you said you’d be there and the time it would take to get from the rink to the apartment. Really Victor, if you don’t want to get up this early, then schedule training sessions for a more reasonable hour…say noon. Give them exercises to work on in the morning or something.”

As usual, Chris had an excellent point. The problem with it if Victor’s skaters were going to win, they needed all the hours working on their routine as they could.

“I’m getting up.” Victor groaned again. “You’re not goading me into a night of drinking anymore.”

Chris laughed. “As if I can make you do anything you don’t really want to. You’re a grown man and a father, so start acting like it. Now, I’m going to let you get up in peace, but if I don’t hear the shower going by the time the twins finish eating, I’m going to send them in and I’ll open the door in preparation of Yuri’s arrival. Don’t blame me if all the cold air gets in or a member of the media stalks your place.”

With his final warning, Chris left, shutting the door behind him with a soft thud. Victor waited a few moments before finally sliding out from under the covers to sit on the edge of the bed. He stretched, trying to get the kicks out of his back and shoulders before taking a moment to assess how he felt. He still felt tired, having only gotten a handful of hours to sleep off his small drinking binge last night. While not completely hung over, his head ached and his stomach lurched at the thought of food. He was going to have to take Chris’ words to heart and not let himself rise to every challenge set in front of him. While he may have been an ace at taking shots with friends a few years prior, his body couldn’t handle alcohol like it had before his pregnancy.

Finding the strength to stand, he padded over to the bathroom to relieve his bladder before turning on the hot water to shower. He stripped down out of his worn practice t-shirt and sweatpants, catching a glimpse of dark smudges under his eyes and faint stretch marks around his stomach before stepping into the spray. The warmth of the water and the pressure on stiff muscles felt heavenly. He didn’t take too long in the shower, knowing he was a little behind, but he stayed in as long as he could, relaxing in the warmth before getting out and changing into some new practice gear he’d recently purchased.

He took a few minutes to blow dry his shoulder length silver hair and applied a little something to cover the dark spots under his eyes. No need for Yakov or any of the skaters to worry about him. They all cared about him, even if they showed it in strange ways and he’d already put them through enough grief these last few years. Taking one final look in the mirror and deeming himself somewhat presentable, he pulled his slightly damp hair back with a hair band before grabbing his bag and heading out to the main room of his apartment.

Victor stopped just at the end of the hallway, heart melting a bit at the sight in front of him. Chris stood at the stove, carefully flipping pancakes while the twins giggled where they sat at the table. Both of his children were dressed in warm clothes, faces clean and hair brushed. Their coats and backpacks draped over the back of their chairs ready to go when they left. Chris had most likely gotten them ready once he’d done his other morning wake up call. Their family’s furry companion, Maya, wolfed down her food from her bowl before rubbing her fluffy black fur against the back of Chris’ legs to beg for food. The Swiss man shooed her away with a shift of his foot and she went to go lay down under the children at the table. Victor’s heart ached at the sight. He missed his beloved Makkachin who had passed away shortly after the twins had been born and on a whim, Chris had brought home the little black fluff ball watching Victor’s face light up at the sight of a new puppy. They both knew Maya would never replace Makka, but she’d made the house feel a little bit more like a home and the kids adored her. Chris had saved the day once again with that one.

His friend was truly a life savor when it came to helping Victor with the kids. Victor didn’t know what he would have done if Chris hadn’t been there from the beginning. At first, it had been a temporary thing, coming to support him when he still didn’t know what to do. He’d panicked a few times, changing his mind and questioning his choices. In the end, he made a decision when he heard the heartbeats. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the little life inside of him and Chris had been there to help keep him from making rash decisions or going too crazy.

They hadn’t known about the second child until Victor went into labor, his little girl coming out as smoothly as one could get with a male Omega pregnancy. The boy had been much smaller, hiding behind his sister so that the doctors never saw him on the sonograms even as the babies grew. He’d been tiny and stubborn and Victor had panicked when his body went through hard contractions when he thought everything was over. His son hadn’t been turned the right way for birth either, which only added to a stressful situation. Now both of his children were here, three years old and both of them happy and healthy.

His little girl noticed him first, pulling away from the show Chris was putting on for their sake. Her face lit up as she leaped out of her chair and ran towards him.

“Papa!” She squealed as Victor caught her, lifting her up into his arms. Victor bit back a laugh of joy as she wrapped her little arms around his neck, hugging him with all her strength.

“Good morning.” Victor greeted, pressing an affectionate kiss to her cheek before setting her back down on the ground.

“Chris is making us pancakes.” She gushed. “Come eat breakfast with us.”

Victor managed to keep his smile even though his stomach still rebelled at the thought of eating. He’d need to try and eat something or his strength would be shot today, but the idea of eating something as rich as pancakes really didn’t appeal to him. Still he let himself be dragged towards the table as he glanced around for a good place to set his bag down where it wouldn’t be in the way. It was too heavy to put on the back of a chair.

“Katja…” Chris warned. “Sit back down next to your brother or you’re not getting anything. Your papa needs to put his stuff down and then he can come eat.”

Katja pouted as only she could, but she listened to Chris and went back to sit with her brother. Victor put his bag at the door before sitting down at the table. Chris approached, placing sugary monstrosities in front of his children. Each pancake was already cut up so that the kids could eat with no problem, topped with fruit and a whip cream smiley face. At Victor’s raised eyebrow, Chris smirked, switching to French so that the twins wouldn’t understand.

“As many times as you let them have something sweet and leave me to fend for myself, consider this payback my friend. You’re not getting off that easily since you have to take them with you.” Chris went back over to the counter and placed a pair of bowls in front of Victor. “You’re getting oatmeal and fresh fruit. It should be light enough on your stomach to keep down and give you the energy you need to practice.”

Victor frowned at Chris’ culinary choices, but didn’t argue with him. He did leave Chris to clean up plenty of the kids messes. It was Victor’s fault that they’d learned to loved pancakes, anyway. He brought the twins with him to Skate America last year while Victor had been contemplating Yakov’s offer to return as a coach and they got hooked. It was one of their favorite things to eat though it had become a rare treat for special occasions.  As for the oatmeal…it had been one of the few things Victor had been able to eat and keep down when he’d been pregnant. Victor thought it might have been too heavy for him, but it worked out in other instances too…like his recent string of hangovers.

“Thank you, Chris. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Victor murmured in French before digging in to his food. Maya poked her head up between his legs and he patted her head before shooing her on. The kids had a bad habit of slipping her food under the table. Victor and Chris tried to refrain from feeding the dog, but it was difficult for Victor to refuse the puppy dog eyes. Maya knew exactly who to try and beg for scraps from, but moved back to the twins when she realized Victor had nothing to give her.

“Oh, I already know you’d be helpless without me, but you’re welcome all the same.” Chris replied, moving to the table with his breakfast. “Are you sure Yakov is going to be fine with you bringing them today? I know how he gets sometimes when they distract you.”

“I’ve already talked to him. He already knows they’ll be there and we have already set up a place for them at the rink for them to stay while I’m working, so it’s not like they’ll be inconveniencing anything.”

Chris opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by a small cry of surprise and laughter. Both Omegas turned to look and saw Katja sitting there looking amused while her brother used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe whip cream off his nose. He glared at his sister and Victor moved to get between them before something worse happened. He loved his kids, wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world, but sometimes they were a bit too much.

“Katerina Nikiforova,” He scolded. “How many times to I have to ask you not to mess with your brother? Food is for eating, not playing.”

“But Shura was glaring at me and I didn’t like it.” Her cheeks puffed up as she pouted in ways only she could manage.

“I did not!” Shura responded, upset that Katja liked to pick on him. “She always does that.”

Now his son was pouting, turned away with his arms over his chest. Victor glanced at Chris for some help, but the Swiss man was stifling his laughter behind his hand, shoulder shaking with the effort.

“They’re your problem today. I’m taking time for myself, remember?” Chris managed to get his shaking under control. “I think you had high hopes when you named them ‘pure’ and ‘defender of mankind,’ but honestly, my friend, you have yourself a handful.”

Victor sighed, knowing that if he let this continue he’d be in a world of hurt later. “All right. We’re going to finish eating without glaring or teasing and then we’re going to go get a clean shirt for Shura. If you two want to go with me to the rink, you have to behave today. Yakov doesn’t like to hear you fighting, do you understand?”

He got a pair of meek responses from his kids before sliding Shura over so that he sat between them. Both looked secretly pleased at the change in their arrangement and Victor got to finish his conversation with Chris before getting a clean shirt for his son. It took another twenty minutes, but the Nikiforov trio and their furry companion were changed and heading down the door towards the ice rink.

The little blunder from that morning seemingly forgotten as they wandered down the familiar streets. Shura stayed close to Victor, while his sister ventured a little ahead of them, but not far enough that Victor would feel the need to call her back to his side. Katja usually was the more adventurous and daring of the two. She was humming a little song, stopping just at the edge of how far Victor would allow her to get ahead of them and stopping to twirl a bit, her long black hair flying with the speed of her movement. She turned around, her bright blue eyes filled with glee as a mischievous smile crossed her face. She was the one who looked more like her Alpha father, though she had Victor’s blue eyes and penchant for being whimsical.

Shura, on the other hand, looked like Victor in every way, but had a very reserved personality. He stood stoically at Victor’s side his hand holding on to a piece of Maya’s leash as they walked down the street. At three, he went through periods of time where he could be a playful child, but he also seemed to think very deeply and ask questions that Victor sometimes didn’t know how to answer. He loved reading and being read to, so much so that not an evening went by that Shura wasn’t curled up with either him or Chris with a book in front of them. It was strange to see how different their personalities were. He could see how Katja got her ways from him, but he wondered if Shura’s came from Yuri.

Victor almost stopped in the street, his breath catching a bit at the thought of the former Japanese skater. Despite his efforts, he never heard back from Yuri Katsuki, something he deeply regretted. Victor had waited a few months after he first contacted Celestino to ask again, knowing Yuri had to be back in training. Celestino admitted to forgetting about Victor’s request. He did confirm that Yuri had retired and that he’d returned to Japan. Victor made another attempt to contact Yuri at his home, but the woman he had talked to had blown him off saying Yuri didn’t want to talk to anyone, especially not another nosy reporter. Victor had tried to explain that he wasn’t a reporter, only to be hung up on. It hurt far worse than any physical wound and in the end Victor got the message.

Yuri didn’t want to talk to him. Their one night together changed Victor’s life and future. He didn’t know what Yuri remembered, but since Yuri hadn’t sought him out, he could only assume that he didn’t know the twins were his.

For whatever reason, he and Yuri weren’t meant to speak or even see each other again. Victor had looked for glimpses of Yuri Online, though it wasn’t long before Chris had to take away his phone until he swore to put the Alpha out of his mind. He tried, some days being easier than others, especially knowing that his children were every bit a piece of Yuri as they were of him.

It didn’t take much longer before they reached the rink, giving Victor something else to focus on. Stepping inside, he made his way to a little room next to where Yakov’s office sat. The room used to be a small storage room for equipment, but Victor asked if he could use it as a play room for the twins when he agreed to return. They’d spent weeks cleaning it out so the kids had a place to play and hang out while Victor coached. Yakov had agreed immediately and Victor set to work on bringing in a few things to make sure the kids didn’t get bored enough to cause mischief. The kids brought a few things in their bags to keep them occupied too, but Victor wanted them to be comfortable. He let Maya off her leash, hanging it up on little hooks where the kids hung up their coats and she took off to a corner where she had several new toys and a bed for her to nap on.

“Now you both promised me that you’d be good today. I don’t want to come in here to find out you’ve been arguing or teasing each other. I have to work with an angry kitten and Otabek for a little while and we can go get something good for lunch in a little bit if you behave. I’ll check on both of you in a little bit, okay?”

The twins agreed. Katja headed over to the child sized table, flopping her bag down and opening it up. Shura joined her after a moment and the two of them started to draw and color. Victor lingered for a moment longer watching them work before shutting the door and heading out to the locker room to put on his skates. When he came out, he could already hear Yuri shouting on the ice. Apparently, the angry blond didn’t realize Victor was in the building, though from where Victor stood, it looked like he and Otabek had started to warm up, stopping for Yuri to vent his frustrations.

“He’s always late. I’m going to go to his apartment and kick his door down so hard that he’ll need to replace the whole wall.” He hissed, before kicking a divot into the ice with his skate.

“Yura, he’s bringing the twins with him today. Perhaps that’s why he’s running late. We can at least do some basic figures and give him a little more time.” A calmer voice spoke in a reassuring tone. Victor knew if Otabek couldn’t calm Yuri down, then no one else could. Still, he heard Yuri scoff at his boyfriend at the idea.

“I’m beginning to think he doesn’t want to do this. Every day is a different excuse and I’m sick of it. If he didn’t want to do this, he should have just told Yakov no.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that I want to be here.” Victor said, stepping out where the two skaters could see him, one of his trademark smiles on his face…the mocking, condescending one. “And when have you ever known me to do something I don’t want to do. Don’t always assume that you have me all figured out, because you don’t.”

Yuri’s face flushed crimson in a combination of embarrassment and anger. “Well, if you showed some initiative, we wouldn’t have to guess your motives.”

The young man spun on the ice, long blond hair flipped behind him to dismiss Victor as he skated away to warm up. Otabek waited a moment with Victor, watching Yuri go.

“I don’t think he meant it. I think he’s just nervous about this season and he’s taking it out on everyone. He shouldn’t, but you’ve been around him longer than I have.” Otabek spoke, glancing back at Victor.

“He has nothing to be nervous about. I’m confident he’ll skate a program he can be proud of.” Victor didn’t boast, but sounded confident all the time. Yuri worked hard on his programs, worked even harder after Victor was out, carrying the Russian team in his absence. “And I made it clear to Yakov that my time would be split between coaching and taking care of my kids. Chris can only help so much and it’s not his responsibility, though he’s taken some of the burden off of me. If he has a problem with that, then I can’t coach him. We’ll just be at odds the entire time and it will affect his skating.”

“I will talk to him. He really does want you here to coach him, Victor. I know somethings been bothering him, but he won’t even talk to me about it. I don’t want to pressure him too much or he’ll just push me away, but he can’t keep bottling up his problems.”

Victor nodded. “I’m going to let it go for today. Let’s just get to work. I’ve seen a little bit of what the two of you can do, and I’ve already started to come up with programs to suit your styles. I want to push you both, otherwise you’ll never surprise the audience or the judges. Go warm up and then we’ll see what you can do.”

Otabek nodded, skating off to go after Yuri. Victor walked around to the entrance to the rink to step out onto the ice. While he hadn’t completely stopped skating, he knew his skills were still rusty from lack of practice. He began to skate his own warm up routine to get used to being back on the ice, knowing that many of the people were watching him.

There weren’t too many familiar faces anymore. Four years meant that skaters retired and more came up through the ranks from the Junior division to the Senior. He knew his reputation preceded him, though the only two people he recognized from his competition days were Yuri and Milla. The female skater gave him a small smile and a wave and he nodded back at her. Georgi was around somewhere too, but he had retired as well, picking up Yakov’s offer to help around the rink and coach in the junior division.

He was used to eyes following him, watching his every move, but something unsettled him now. He could feel their gazes, felt the judgment and expectation weigh on him. He’d felt it before, but never this strongly. Focusing on the movement of his body on the ice, he did his best to tune out everything else. He wasn’t here to impress them or to prove anything to anyone, so he would leave them to their curiosity and focus on what he came here to do.

Once he was satisfied, he skated over to where Otabek was talking quietly with Yuri. The blond seemed to have calmed down a bit as they drank from their water bottles. It was time for them to get down to business and get to work. If he was going to work with them on their routines, he needed to see them in action. He’d done his own research of their routines over the last few years, but he wanted to see how far he could push them to go further. He wanted them to not just win, but excel as skaters.

Watching them, he noticed how much Yuri had improved and overcome the challenging of skating while his body changed into that of a young man. Now in his early twenties, he’d grown a little taller and filled out. Yakov had really worked with Yuri and refined his strengths. He still had the energy and passion of his youth, something Victor knew he could work with, focusing it on skating instead of his constant outbursts of anger.

As for Otabek, what he lacked in natural talent, he made up with his hard work and dedication. Only a couple years older than Yuri and Victor could see how hard he worked even if there were a few things he still seemed shaky on. When Otabek missed a jump, he’d do it over and over again until it became muscle memory. He remained calm under pressure and knew exactly what his limit were in skating. In the end, Victor had started to form solid plans for how they were going to tackle their programs. Now they just needed to decide on themes, though that didn’t have to be something they figured out right away. They had until the press conference at the end of the summer to come up with that and he knew full well how the story told through skating would influence their choices.

“All right, we should take a break.” He called to the two skaters. “We don’t need you burned out before we’ve even begun.”

Both of them looked as though Victor had given them a harsh workout. Still, they didn’t complain as they skated to get off the ice. Victor followed, reaching for his skate guards when the slamming of a door caught the attention of the entire room. Yakov marched out from his office, face red and expression agitated.

“Vitya, my office. Now!”

Victor slid on his skate guards and glanced over at Yuri and Otabek. They were already taking a break, unfazed by Yakov’s angry outburst. Victor didn’t seem too concerned, but Yakov only yelled when he was angry or frustrated, so something must have upset him. The fact that he called for Victor and Victor alone didn’t bode well for him personally, but years of blowing off Yakov when he got like this, plus being the major cause of his frustration for years made it easier to deal with.

He walked back towards the office, pausing to poke his head in and check on his children. Both were curled up together on the small couch, Shura attempting to read to his sister. Instead of interrupting, he left as quietly as he came pausing just inside the doorway to the office.

Yakov sat behind the desk, face still a little red but his expression pensive. Victor almost thought about leaving, unsure of how to always handle Yakov, but before he could turn away, his former coach noticed him.

“Come in and shut the door Victor, there are a couple of things I need to discuss with you and I’d rather not deal with the gossip bound to spread around the rink.”

Victor swallowed the nervous knot in his throat, stepping in to the office and shutting the door with a click that sounded far louder in his ears than it should have. The atmosphere in the office was tense and after everything he’d already had to deal with this morning, Victor wasn’t all that sure he wanted to be here. Still, he took a seat in front of the desk, tilting his head in a curious gesture, wanting to know why Yakov was so upset.

“You’re not in trouble, Vitya.” Yakov started, switching to the familiar diminutive. Victor felt his body relax a bit at the familiarity, but he still couldn’t completely. “I’ve just seemed to found out something that concerns you that concerns me. Before we get to that though, I wanted to give you this.”

He pushed a thick manila envelope over to Victor. It was addressed to the rink, but with his name in the care of Yakov at the top. Victor opened it up, pulling out the small packet of paperwork.

“The International Skating Federation is requesting a handful of veteran skaters to perform an exhibition skate for a fundraiser once the season is over. The goal is to give fans an opportunity to see their favorite skaters in action one final time and you were one of the most requested since your retirement announcement was so abrupt. It’s for a worthy cause from what I understand, though the decision is yours if you want to do it. I know that you’re just putting yourself back out on the ice, but I think it would be good for you…ending your competitive career on a high note.”

Victor could feel the smug smile creep over his face. “I already ended my career on a high note with my fifth consecutive win at Worlds, but I will look this over later and take it into consideration.”

He knew what Yakov was implying. Victor had planned on at least doing one more season even though he’d been struggling with his inspiration. Still, this would give him a chance to end his career on his own terms, so he would think about it carefuly before committing to it. Practicing for something like this would cut into his time somewhere and he already committed to coaching.

Yakov nodded at his words, expression growing more serious. “The other thing I wanted to talk to you about involves Yuri Katsuki.”

Victor sat up a little bit straighter, though he could feel the color drain from his face a little bit at the name. He tried not to let anything show on his face, but Yakov’s expression gave away how bad he failed at that. His voice shook as he asked, “What about him?”

“It seems as though someone has managed to pull him out of hiding. A Japanese skater, Kenjiro Minami, requested a change on his coaching information. It seems that Yuri Katsuki and a Thai skater, Pichit Chulanot who is out with an injury, are taking over as his coach and assistant coach while his former coach takes some time off.” Yakov explained, pausing for a moment.

“I want to make myself clear. I’m not telling you this to raise your hopes and I don’t want to hear about you doing another reckless and foolish thing. Minami is a rising competitor who is sure to make it into the Grand Prix series this year, so there is a chance that you may be attending an event at the same time as Katsuki. I want you to prepare yourself in the event that you may have to see him again, Victor. I need you focused on the competition. Yuri and Otabek need you to focus on them and not on your own personal issues.”

Victor swallowed hard. Of course Yakov would warn him away. Only Chris and Yakov knew about Yuri, both sworn to secrecy to never reveal it unless absolutely necessary. Chris had agreed out of friendship and loyalty. Yakov had done it to avoid scandal, but he helped raise Victor, so there was some feelings there too.

“You cannot afford the distraction. If you still feel the need to contact Katsuki and talk to him about all this then tell him you want to talk to him when the season is over. If he still decides to walk away, they you will have your answer for good, but you cannot afford to let your personal interest get in the way of other things. I suggest you let Mr. Giacometti know about this as well, especially since he’ll be going with you while you travel.”

Victor nodded automatically, his usual personality less subdued. He thanked Yakov and told him he would think about everything they discussed before throwing himself back into practice. The rest of the day turned into one big blur and Victor couldn’t really concentrate on anything. It took Yuri shouting at him a few times in frustration that he decided to call it early. He admitted to being tired as an excuse to leave. He made arrangements with his skaters for a reasonable practice start the next day, warning them to be warmed up when he got there. Tomorrow the rink was reserved for them alone and he planned on getting started on their programs without any interference from the other skaters…provided talking with Chris went his way.

He texted Chris briefly as he slid on his sneakers, to let him know they were leaving the rink shortly. It didn’t take long for Chris to respond.

_I thought you might. I ordered us food from that local place around the corner. I got a lot accomplished, but sadly didn_ _’t make it to the store. That’s an adventure for tomorrow._

_Thanks, Chris_ _…It’s been a long day._ He paused thinking about whether he wanted to bring this up now or not. Deciding it was best to give Chris a heads up he texted. _I need to talk to you about a couple of things later. Yakov gave me some news and I need some advice._

_That doesn_ _’t sound good. Do I need to pull out some Vodka for this conversation?_

Victor cringed at the thought. After being hungover this morning and the day he had, he didn’t want to drink anything.

_None for me. Still feeling the effects of last night. Though you might want something to help you unwind._ _”_

_That bad?_

_Maybe_ _…I’ll let you decide._

Victor didn’t get a response to that. He sighed and packed his skates into his bag, hoisting it up on his shoulder before going to get the kids from the room. They’d been quiet most of the day and didn’t really fuss when Victor laid them down for a nap earlier in the afternoon. He didn’t let them sleep for long, wanting them to sleep through the night, but he also didn’t want to deal with their crankiness if he let them stay up all day. When he stepped into the room, he found Katja lounging on the floor coloring and Shura fast asleep on the couch, a book laying by his head and arms around a sleeping Maya.. Katja saw him when he stepped into the room, looking up to beam at him.

“Are you ready to go home?” He asked softly, not wanting to wake Shura yet.

She nodded and Victor helped her to pack up, making sure they got everything. In the end, he decided to scoop Shura up and carry him back to the apartment, holding Katja’s hand and the leash with his free one. She chatted pleasantly all the way home, regaling him with everything she got to do that day. Victor felt bad for having to leave them alone most of the day, but they didn’t seem to mind it. Victor had explained he would be busier, helping the other skaters, but he wasn’t exactly sure the kids understood that completely.

Shura woke up as they walked through the door. As soon as the kids saw Chris, they got their second wind, both chattering about their uneventful day like it was the greatest thing that ever happened to them. Chris listened with faint interest as he pulled out the food that arrived just before them. They all sat down together having a nice meal as the kids continued to talk. Dinner passed them by and Victor had the kids go play in their rooms quietly so he could talk to Chris.

The kids took a minute to whine and complain, but Victor threatened to send them to bed and they left without too much fuss, taking Maya with them so that could play with her some more. Victor watched them go, listening to Chris clean up in the kitchen before coming back out with a glass of wine and expectant look on his face.

“So,  you said you needed some advice?”

“Yakov gave me some news,  but I don't know what to do.” He took a deep breath. “Yakov found out that Yuri is coming back. He's coaching another Japanese skater this season and I don't know what to do.”

“What did Yakov have to say about that?” Chris responded,  setting the wine down,  expression serious.

“To take care of it on my own time and not be distracted by him, but I'm not so sure that I can. This might be my only chance…”

He still wanted to talk to Yuri. He wanted to tell him the truth, but old doubts and fears rose up in his mind. Chris was the only person who knew the extent of what he'd gone through.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about this…especially if he rejects you outright. I saw how you fell apart last time and I don't want to see it happen again.”

“I need to try though. I don't think that I could live with myself without at least trying. He deserves to know about the twins at least.”

“He didn't want to talk four years ago. What makes you think anything has changed?”

“He's coming back. That has to mean something since he didn't want to talk to anyone before. It might be my only shot. I'm not stupid. I know he could still not want to talk to me,  but I still want to try to talk to him. If he doesn't want to talk,  I'll accept that.

“Will you?” Chris didn't sound convinced.

“I’ll have to be. I need to hear Yuri tell me himself instead of hearing other people telling me to leave him alone. That's the only way I can accept it.”

“Well, I already know that I can't stop you once you've made up your mind. I just want you to promise me you'll tread lightly with this. The last thing we need is for you to hope and get crushed again.” Chris picked his wine up again, taking a sip. “I’ll help you Victor, but only because I know you’ll do it anyway regardless of my opinion. I am warning you, as your friend, if I think you’re in too deep or something goes wrong, I’m pulling you out before it can go any further. I assume that stubborn brain of yours has already started thinking about a plan.”

“Well, I still have to think about helping my own skaters get to through the Grand Prix. Yuri will be doing the same for his. It’ll be best if I focus on that and meet Yuri there.”

“I see, a sort of neutral ground for the both of you. Still, how are you planning to approach this?” Chris gestured towards the bedrooms.

“I don’t know yet. I have to get Yuri alone to talk to him. I’m going to think about it.” Victor answered, turning to look in the direction of the bedrooms. He needed to do this for them too.

“Knowing you, you’ll wait until the last minute without thinking of anything coherent and blurting it out in Yuri’s face. I don’t suggest that, just so you know, but you should at least have some sort of tact when telling him he has two children. Otherwise this could go the way we don’t want it to. I can’t do that for you, so you’re going to have to figure it out. For now, focus on getting Russian Yuri and Otabek through the Grand Prix. If you’re lucky, Yuri will at least be at the finals.”

He hoped he wouldn’t have to wait that long to meet up with Yuri, but he waited four years….several more months wouldn’t kill him.

Time flew by some days and others dragged on. It was worse on his days off, though he tried to spend as much free time with his children. Both routines of his skaters came together and before they knew it, the assignments for the Grand Prix were announced and Yakov sent the to Victor on his phone. He tried hard to focus on finding Yuri’s and Otabek’s names on the list, but was distracted when under Skate America he saw Kenjiro Minami’s name right under Otabek’s.

His heart pounded and he wondered if somehow things were starting to go his way. He’d be seeing Yuri at the first event of the series and with Otabek and not the fiery tiger. The Russian Yuri had a blatant dislike for the Japanese skater and vocalized it often enough over the years. He held his breath scanning the results over again and noticed it was the only event that he’d see Yuri before the final…if they made it that far. Otabek wouldn’t compete again until the Trophee de France while Yuri got Skate Canada and the Rostelecom Cup. Skater Minami’s second event would be the NHK Trophee…a chance to shine on home turf, but not an event Victor could sneak off to with the competition in France so close. His one shot would be meeting Yuri in Detroit.

Now, he hoped he wouldn’t screw this up…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we get a little introduction into the life of Victor and family. Not a lot of screen time for the twins, but they will have a bigger time to shine later. Fun fact, I had to research Russian diminutives. Katja and Shura are those diminutives for Katerina and Alexander. I prefer to use the diminutives as they're gonna be a bit easier for me.
> 
> As promised here are the links for the playlist and artwork for the Shit Bang. (I hope the links work). You'll need spotify for the playlist and you get a little glimpse into the songs for chapter 5 and 6. Anyway, here you go!
> 
> Come follow/talk to me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> Post on spotify playlist for story [ Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/post/164838486039/via)  
> Post for Fanart by the faboulous KC (shadhahvar on tumblr) [ Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/post/164842051414/posting-for-my-partner-kc-shadhahvar-here-on)


	5. Needless to Say, I'm Odds and Ends...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first event of the Grand Prix series is on. Time for reunions and awkward moments...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today has been a good day! I'm super happy that I was able to participate in this fandom shit bang and I'm excited for the story to come. Now the moment you've all been waiting for...the reunion. Enjoy chapter 5 and check out the note at the bottom for more!

_So Needless to Say, I'm Odds and Ends_  
_I'll Be Stumbling Away, Slowly Learning That Life is OK_  
 _Say After Me It's No Better to be Safe Than Sorry_

 (Take On Me - Pentatonix)

Yuri took a deep breath as he stepped off the plane in Detroit. He followed Minami through the airport with a firm hand on his back courtesy of Phichit. He was a giant ball of nerves as per usual, trying hard not to let it show. Detroit was a familiar city, but a memory left behind for Yuri. He never imagined coming back here, though he’d known if he’d taken Celestino up on his offer, he would have come back. Phichit always asked him to come out for a visit, but then Phichit returned to Bangkok to train and there really hadn’t been a point then. He already knew Celestino would be there, one of his other skaters participating in the Grand Prix since Phichit was sidelined, but there was something so much more pressing on his mind than seeing his old coach.

When the assignments had come out, Phichit made a point to only mention that Minami was participating in Skate America and the NHK Trophy, but hadn’t mentioned anything else. Yuri didn’t think to ask about Victor’s skaters in the haze of working with Minami. He’d been so stressed, despite the fact that Minami had been easy from the start. He already had his theme and music picked out and the choreography for his routines came together. It’d been a collaborative effort between Minami’s Style, Yuri’s presentation refinement, and Phichit’s over enthusiastic scramble to up the difficulty for a higher practical score. The routine could get Minami to the final and they could tweak it along the way. Now he just had to hope that Minami wouldn’t lose out to his own nerves. Both their reputations were on the line and it still horrified Yuri that he was going to fail.

They’d been seated safely on the plane, riding towards the runway when Minami had casually asked who else would be skating at the event. Yuri had been trying to relax, preparing for the long trip from Japan to Michigan when Pichit rattled off names, pausing before mentioning Otabek Altin. The skater from Kazakstan was a little familiar to Yuri, having watched him win Bronze the last World Championship that Victor competed in, but he also knew that Otabek had met Yuri Plisetski the following year and with some prompting, moved his home rink to Russia to train with the angry blond. They both trained under Yakov Feltsman until this season…when they switched to Victor.

He’d sat up wide eyed, hands gripping the hand rails a little too tightly as he gaped at his friend. Pichit had only smiled, shrugging carelessly. “Well, you’ve got an entire day of traveling before you have to even think of meeting up with him. A little too late to back out now. Besides, you have more important things to worry about, like your ISF exhibition. You know they scheduled times at the events where those participating can practice. I’m actually a little jealous cause I can’t do it too.”

Yuri glared at Pichit who just grinned behind his hand. Yuri had received the information regarding an exhibition skate for charity at the end of the skating season. He wanted to outright refuse, citing his nerves and the disastrous end to his skating career. Before he could send back a response telling the ISF he wouldn’t be doing it, Pichit had done it for him. He had dropped that little surprise right after he handed Yuri a CD with the music Pichit insisted he skate to. Apparently, Pichit had contacted an old classmate who had composed a piece for Yuri before and had it redone. Yuri had been completely against it, but one listen to the beautiful piano melody and he felt inspired again.

Pichit and Yuri had crafted the outline of a routine, but Pichit left it to Yuri to decide what he wanted to do with it. So far Yuri had kept it under wraps, so much so that Pichit hadn’t even seen what he’d been working on. It was far from done, but Yuri still had time to refine and finish it. Something felt like it was missing, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He just had to hope he had the confidence to pull it off. The thought of working on his routine did nothing to take the stress off of his current predicament though.

Here he was, in a foreign airport, probably breathing the same air as his idol. He really wanted to fly out on the next plane back to Hasetsu, consequences be damned. Pichit wouldn’t let him run away and he knew he couldn’t abandon Minami a couple of days before a competition…especially since he seemed so happy about Yuri being his coach. So, Yuri was just going to have to take the next couple of hours to get used to the idea that he’d soon be seeing his long time idol and getting up the nerve to talk to him.

Gathering their luggage and getting to the hotel proved to be the easy part of the whole journey. On the ride over, Minami and Pichit chatted non-stop about Detroit. Minami listened the the attentiveness of a fan boy, making all sorts of excited sounds as Pichit talked about the many adventures he had with Yuri while they trained together. When they arrived, they stepped out of the cab and went inside a very nice hotel that agreed to host the Grand Prix skaters this year. Inside the lobby, they could see that several other skaters and their coaches were checking in. Select members of the media and sponsors also stood out, though surprisingly, no one approached them.

“Ah, I see the vultures are here.” Pichit commented, glancing at Yuri as he stared at the members of the media. “Don’t worry about them Yuri. About two years ago one of the reporters got in the face of Yuri Plisetski to ask him about dating Otabek Altin. He got into a shoving match with the reporter and the two had to be yanked apart. Coach Feltsman kept it under wraps, but Ciao Ciao and I saw it, so I happen to know that Yuri got banned from Skate America and the reporters all agreed that they wouldn’t approach competitors outside of the official event. You might have to talk to them at the rink at practice tomorrow, but today they’re just getting their pictures of who’s arriving.”

He threw his arm over Yuri’s shoulder and pulled him after Minami to wait their turn at the check in counter. Yuri managed to calm down long enough to get checked in when a collective gasp echoed throughout the room, causing him to freeze. He could feel eyes directly on him causing him to instinctively turn around to find the source of the gaze. Yuri’s breath caught, eyes widening comically as he caught the gaze of warm blue eyes.

Victor looked so much better in person…better than the last time Yuri had seen him in Sochi. His shoulder length hair framed both sides of his face, though a little askew with the sunglasses perched on top of Victor’s head. For once, he didn’t look worn down or sad like Yuri had been noticing in his pictures over the last few months. Instead his gaze looked almost excited and possibly nervous.

Yuri shook his head, trying to fight back the thought of Victor being nervous. The Russian coach didn’t have a reason to be nervous and Yuri could feel the flush cross his face as his risked another peek at the Omega in the room. Victor’s expression had fallen in disappointment for some reason, but he quickly recovered when someone tugged on his arm and called out to him.

He’d been so enamored with the sight of his idol, Yuri failed to notice the entourage with him. Otabek Altin looked stoic as ever, setting his bag off to the side as he pulled out his phone, dialing and pressing it to his ear. Behind him stood Christophe Giacometti with Victor’s son in his arms. The former Swiss skater seemed amused by the whole exchange. He glanced between Victor and Yuri, eyes watchful and curious. Victor bent down to pick up the final member of their group. His daughter chatted animatedly with Victor, pointing to some artwork on the walls of the hotel. He saw Victor engage with her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and talking low so that no one close to them could hear his response.

Yuri didn’t even realize he’d been openly staring before Pichit came over and spun him around. “You know, Yuri. I know you like Victor and all, but starting at him is a little creepy and probably not a good thing to do in front of the press.”

Immediately Yuri felt the urge to run and hide. As if his face wasn’t already red, he felt the burn in his cheeks increase and buried his face in his hands to hide it. “I didn’t mean to…I mean I…”

“Hey, it’s okay. He looks great and if I was enamored with him, I’d stare too. Come on, Minami’s got our room keys. We got two adjacent rooms, so we can all hang out for a while and get some rest. You and he will need it for your practice sessions tomorrow.”

Pichit started to drag him down the hall and away from the lobby when he managed to find his voice again. “What do you mean by just me and Minami needing sleep for practice. You’re coming too, aren’t you?”

His friend stopped, giving Yuri a dazzling smile meaning to calm him and yet having the exact opposite effect on him. “Did I forget to tell you? I promised Ciao Ciao I’d take over one of his classes tomorrow while he’s at the day practice. I’ll be there for your practice, but not Minami’s.”

Yuri held the panic at bay. He hadn’t expected to be going to the rink without Pichit in the morning, especially after he’d just embarrassed himself ogling Victor. He opened his mouth to say something, but Minami came jogging towards them yelling at them to wait for him, dragging suitcases behind him in a flurry. Yuri groaned when he realized one of the suitcases was his and he just knew this whole trip was going to be a disaster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victor watched Yuri get dragged down the hall by his friend. The Japanese man looked every bit as adorable as Victor remembered from Sochi, probably more so. He felt a bit of disappointment that he hadn’t been able to go up and at least greet Yuri, but they’d be here for several days while their skaters prepped and then competed. He’d most likely see Yuri at the morning practice and could talk to him them.

“I know that look, Victor.” Chris commented from behind him. “You’ll get another shot at him. Let’s get checked in and settled and then we’ll run over the schedule for tomorrow since you brushed me off earlier.”

Victor scowled at Chris, not really wanting to deal with this right now. If his kids weren’t there, he’d be chasing after Yuri. Chris was right that there would be another chance to speak to Yuri, but Victor’s tendency to be rash and impulsive fought with his rational half. It didn’t help that Otabek was talking to his Yuri. He could hear the blond man complaining loudly through the speaker about something J.J. had posted Online. If Otabek cared, he didn’t show it, but then again listening to his boyfriend was a different way to show that he cared. At the very least, it was a way to pass the time while they waited to check in.

Chris complained about this particular hotel not having Online check in and Victor just shrugged, putting Katja down so she could grab her bag and Shura’s to the front. She boasted at how much a ‘big’ girl she was for pulling both child sized suitcases, glancing at Shura for his reaction. Shura didn’t like crowds or the flash of cameras in his face, so he hid in Chris shirt, not paying attention to Katja at all.

Before she could pout, Victor turned her attention away from Shura and asked her how she enjoyed flying. This was the first time he’d brought the kids with him to a competition. He’d consulted last year, and went to the Grand Prix Final, Nationals, and Worlds with Yakov. He’d left them in Chris’ capable hands, but missed them desperately while he was gone. They weren’t old enough to go to school yet, so Victor made arrangements for Chris and the twins to travel with him. It’d be good for them to see the world outside of Russia.

They got their key cards. The coaches and skaters were all given adjacent rooms. Victor would be sharing his room with his kids while Chris and Otabek agreed to share a room for convenience sake. Otabek was just as good as Chris when it came to taking care of the twins, so it made sense to just get the two rooms and leave the internal doors connecting the rooms open so that they could freely pass between them.

It worked out in their favor the next morning. Victor had to pry the twins off of him, sending them to climb in bed with Uncle Chris while he got ready for practice. The competition wasn’t for another three days, but coaches and skaters came early to adjust to time zones and the rink they’d be competing in. Practice time was allotted based on the groups they’d be skating in. Otabek was in group one and had the earliest practice. They’d break for a long lunch while group two got a few hours in before the evening session would be reserved for coaches who’d be returning to the ice to skate at the exhibition.

He wore loose pants and a turtleneck to the rink, knowing he’d get a chance to come back to the hotel and get into practice sweats before his own practice. He packed his skates in his bag in case he needed them, picking up his bag he did a sweep to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. Otabek was sliding his practice gloves into his bag when Victor poked his head in. “Ready to go?”

“I’m ready.” Otabek nodded, sliding on his shoes and grabbing his bag before they headed out the door. The rink wasn’t too far from their hotel, so they grabbed a light breakfast before they decided to walk to their destination. Stepping out of the cool air and into the warmer lobby, they flashed their access passes at security and were directed to the locker room. Otabek took his time, stretching out his muscles before sliding his well worn practice skates on his feet and tightening the laces. He put his bag in one of the lockers, securing the lock before sliding his phone, headphones, and locker key into his jacket pocket and picking up his water bottle and gloves

Victor noticed how empty the room seemed, but it was the first day of practice. No doubt a handful of skaters would skip to rest their bodies from travel. Victor and Otabek had years worth of competition experience and had their own ways of making sure they didn’t burn out. The older skater saw no reason they couldn’t practice and Otabek didn’t complain. Victor finished lacing up his own skates before they made their way out towards the rink.

Stepping into the main room, they were both surprised by the sound of skates on the ice. Victor had thought for sure they’d be the first ones in there this early in the morning, but was pleased to know someone else was here. Victor didn’t pay attention to who was there, opting to follow Otabek to the edge. They set their things off to the side on a small table where two other phones sat. Otabek slid off his jacket, draping it on a bleacher before sliding on his gloves, taking his guards off, and gliding out onto the ice. Victor watched him go start his usual warm up when a choked off gasp caught his attention.

Glancing at the two other skaters, he froze at the sight of Yuri Katsuki staring at him. His face turned red like it had earlier in the hotel and his hand covered his mouth as to stifle the noises. Victor, being who he was, smiled and waved wanting Yuri to not be so nervous to come over and talk to him. Yuri started to retreat away from him, but a squeal of surprise caught Victor off guard and the other skater on the ice came over to him.

“You’re Victor Nikiforov!” He shouted excitedly causing Victor to smile a little wider at the enthusiasm. He’d seen this skater before though he hadn’t done as well the previous season. This had to be Kenjiro Minami if he was with Yuri. “I’m excited to finally meet you. I used to watch you skate when I was younger. Your quad flips were amazing.”

“It’s nice to meet you too. Minami, isn’t it?” Victor asked, not really good with names, but he wanted to try.

Minami made another high pitched sound. He turned back to his coach. “He knows my name. Yuri, he knows my name!”

“I watched you skate last year when I was considering returning to work under my old coach. You’ve got a great balance in your programs between your presentation and your jumps. I think you would have gone far if you had paced yourself a little bit better.” Victor commented, meeting Yuri’s gaze. “Though you’ve gotten your hands on an amazing coach this year, so I have high hopes to see you compete against my skaters at the Grand Prix Final.”

The younger skater gushed and Victor turned his attention back to Yuri. The Japanese Alpha had moved his hand, but still stared at Victor with a shocked expression. Victor averted his gaze, not sure what to say to Yuri. Instead he called out to Otabek who’d just done a quad, hand touching down on the ice. Victor realized he’d done it on purpose to distract him from the awkward situation. He may not know the full story of what happened between him and Yuri, but Otabek was one of the most perceptive people he knew. He’d quickly figure out that there was more to the situation between Victor and Yuri.

“Otabek, you’re not supposed to be jumping right now. Save your energy for later. I want you to run through your program, mark your jumps. Let’s take advantage of it not being busy. I hope that’s okay.” He smiled at Yuri.

“It’s fine. We’ve been here for about an hour. Minami could use a break.” Yuri finally spoke, gesturing for his skater to get off the ice.

A ghost of a smile crossed Otabek’s face as they watched Minami and Yuri leave the ice. Victor wanted to go over and talk with him, but it wasn’t the right time. He’d get his chance later. Maybe they could all go to lunch or something. Turning his attention back to his own skater, he moved off the ice too and Otabek took his starting position, sliding his earbuds in his ears, letting the music play before he began.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yuri stepped into the shadows, eyes watching Victor from the sidelines. He looked confident as Yuri expected him to be. He was calling out a few adjustments to Otabek, and the skater adjusted effortlessly.

Yuri watched for a few moments, trying to figure out an excuse for his staring. Settling on trying to pick up coaching tips from his idol, he let his eyes wander. Victor looked great, a lot healthier than his recent tabloid pictures. Yuri couldn’t even imagine being a single parent and working as a coach. Victor had two kids to be responsible for, which had to be rough. Still, he was trying his hardest to make a living and be a parent. Yuri could admire that about him.

Victor glanced his way, flashing him a dazzling smile which cause Yuri to flush and feel flustered all over again. His heart raced in his chest as he averted his gaze. He didn’t understand why Victor was smiling, especially at him. Victor didn’t know him from anyone else, yet he complimented Yuri’s skating and Minami’s decision to ask Yuri to coach him. As far as he knew, Victor never watched him skate…though he was a fan the last time they’d seen each other. Why Victor would say such things about him…

“Hey Yuri, are you all right?” Minami asked, walking over to him. “Usually we’re back on the ice by now, so I just wanted to be sure…”

“It’s fine.” Yuri managed a smile for his skater. He hadn’t realized just how much time had passed. “I was just lost in thought. It looks like Otabek’s done running through his program. You should be able to go out and work on yours.”

Minami nodded vigorously, practically marching over to the rink entrance. He pulled off his guards before gliding back on the ice. Yuri wanted to shout when Minami nearly fell in his enthusiasm, but after a comedic waving of his hands, he found his balance again, flushing as he did a secondary warm up. Warm laughter and the thick Russian accent caused Yuri to freeze realizing when he moved to follow Minami, he’d gotten closer to Victor.

“He’s full of energy, isn’t he? Reminds me of my twins when they’re up to no good.” Warm affection colored Victor’s tone. “He’ll be a challenge for my skaters when it comes to the final.”

“You think he’ll make it that far?” Yuri felt grateful that he managed to keep his tone even and unwavering. Victor looked puzzled for a moment, as if the answer should have been obvious.

“He’s a very dedicated skater who’s worked hard to make it this far. Adding you as his coach with your presentation skills will refine his programs to take him further than what he accomplished last year.” Victor sounded confident in his assessment. “The two of you together will bring a new level of competition to the Grand Prix this year. I do believe he can make it to the final, perhaps even medal, though my skaters will give him a challenge to beat as well.”

Victor’s praise was genuine and it even sounded like he was teasing Yuri a bit. Yuri cursed his nature to blush and swallowed hard. “I don’t know about all that. Minami did a lot of this on his own. If he does qualify, he should get all the credit. I’m not the greatest skater out there, not even really all that sure why he chose me as his coach to begin with.”

Victor frowned. “Why would you say something like that? You’re a wonderful skater. I remember your routine in Sochi and it was beautiful. Your technical aspects could have used some work, but you could have gone so much further than you did.”

Yuri wanted to deny it, to tell Victor how wrong he was and how Yuri could never measure up to him, but his throat closed off with the pain of knowing he wasn’t good enough. He turned away, so Victor couldn’t see the expression on his face, though the older man seemed to know he’d touched a sore spot with Yuri. He excused himself, backing off to focus on Otabek and practice. Yuri managed to recover and do the same for Minami, the hours passing by quickly.

A few other skaters showed up later for practice, though they didn’t seem to linger long, either too tired or not taking the competition as seriously as the others. About an hour before they were scheduled to get off the ice, Yuri felt it was time to stop for the day, calling Minami off the ice for a very late lunch. Minami came quickly and both made their way to the locker room.

Minami quickly realized he’d left his phone at the side of the rink and ran back to grab it. Yuri took the time to slid out of his skates, putting them into his bag. Knowing he’d be back later for practice, he put his bag into the locker, sliding the door closed and shutting the lock with a click. Turning around he bit back the shriek of surprise as he nearly ran into Victor. Fighting the rising panic, he felt Victor reach out to put his hands on his arms to steady him.

“I’m so sorry, Yuri. I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you heard me come in.”

Yuri shook his head, not trusting his voice to come out even at first. Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat. “I…uh…it’s okay. I startle easy.”

Victor still looked concerned and hesitated for a moment, hands coming up to tilt Yuri’s chin to look into his eyes. “I am truly sorry, Yuri. First I upset you and then I scare you. This isn’t how I…” He stopped for a moment. “Let me make it up to you. I can treat you for dinner tonight."

“Dinner?” Yuri squeaked, wanting to crawl into a hole and die at the sound. Victor looked slightly amused at the sound, eyes softening. “Yes, dinner. I’m not too familiar with Detroit. You trained here, so you pick…anything you want and I’ll pay. I have practice for my exhibition skate at five, so let’s say we meet in the hotel lobby at 7? It’s a date.”

Yuri didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth, gaping like a fish out of water. Victor was already walking away, heading around to the other side of the locker room. That’s how Minami found him when he returned, glancing quickly between Yuri and the direction he was looking.

“Yuri, did something happen while I was gone?”

“No.” Yuri said to quickly. “Nothing happened, I’m fine.”

Victor Nikiforov had just asked him out for a date. Yuri didn’t know if he felt pleased or horrified…probably a combination of both. He couldn’t deal with this right now. He grabbed his phone from where he’d left it on the bench. He had to get out of here. He had a few hours until his own practice and he needed a chance to calm his nerves before he had to try and skate. He casually asked Minami where he wanted to eat, and both left the locker room as Yuri tried not to think about what he’d be doing later on that evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victor felt like he was walking on air…thoughts filled with the images of Yuri watching his skater, standing off to the side watching him in return, talking to him in the locker room…

He knew he’d practically forced a date on Yuri, but couldn’t bring himself to care. This was his chance to talk to the Alpha. Dinner might not be the best place to talk to tell him about the twins and what happened between them, but he could persuade him that he wanted to get to know him better. It was a start, one he could work with.

Chris knew something had happened when he stepped into the room. Waiting for the twins to finish greeting their father, he managed to get them to go back to playing, pulling Victor aside for a moment and leaving Otabek to watch them for a few minutes. His face morphed into curious concern as he looked Victor over. “You had a run in with Yuri Katsuki, didn’t you?”

“He was at the morning practice with his skater. They got there even earlier than we did.” Victor responded, his infectious happiness filling his tone.

Chris still looked concerned. “Victor, I know you. What did you do?”

“Nothing.” Victor said a bit too quickly, sighing when Chris raised an eyebrow in doubt. “I complimented him and the routine he designed for Minami. It looks like this year will be a challenge, though he didn’t seem to have much confidence in himself and his abilities. He’s certainly cute when he’s flustered though…and I might have asked him out to dinner tonight.”

Chris’ eyes narrowed. “You might have or you did?”

“I did. He looked so stunned when I suggested it, but he never said he wouldn’t come.”

Chris cursed loudly in French, catching Otabek’s attention and making Victor wince at the sound. Continuing to speak in French he began a very angry tirade.

“Of all the stupid things you could possibly do…I know you practically pushed it on him. Did it ever occur to you that he might not show up? I’m all for you trying to make amends with Katsuki and telling him about the twins, but you have to think before you act, Victor. If you push too hard, he might retreat again and you’ll be back to where you started.”

“I know.” Victor shouted back, cutting Chris off. Otabek stepped into the room and glanced between them, before moving to shut the door to cut them off. The twins didn’t need to hear them fighting.

Victor’s tried to calm his rising temper. Chris had a point, but that didn’t mean he wanted to hear it. Taking a deep breath, he started again. “I already know I’m a difficult person. I’m too eccentric and clingy and too much sometimes. I know what you’re thinking and I didn’t ask him because I’m looking for more, Chris. I’m trying hard not to push. I just…I want to become Yuri’s friend, learn more about him and get him to feel more comfortable around me. That way maybe we can stay friends when I tell him about the twins.”

He paused to turn away, unconsciously wrapping his arms around himself. “You should have seen him. He flushed and flustered easily. I couldn’t get him to look me in the eye and the way he talks about himself…he doesn’t have any confidence in himself. I think that might be why he left skating and I think if I tell him now, he really will just close himself off and run away again. He might do it anyway, but if I do this and try to get to know him better, at least then I can say that I tried and I’ll have my answer.”

Chris looked resigned, frown still gracing his face. “You always fall deep and hard, Victor. You’re letting yourself do it now. I just want you to take a step back and think about your goals right now. I meant it when I asked you what you planned to do if he doesn’t show up because of your pushiness. You may have already scared him away.”

“Then I’ll try to talk to him again. Apologize for being too much.”

Chris snorted, hiding his mouth behind his hand. “You’re going to apologize. You never apologize.”

“Well maybe it’s time I start.” Victor huffed, stomping off into the bathroom, a little offended at his friend’s amusement.

He placed his hands on the wide counter, looking at his face in the mirror. He hated that Chris had been right, more so that he let himself fall even harder watching Yuri today. The Alpha still looked as adorable as he did at the banquet years ago, but he lacked the confidence he’d had that night. Still, Yuri had talked to him, which meant he was willing to talk to Victor. Maybe he had some nerves about coming back as a coach.

He had looked at the scheduled practices and knew he was supposed to go in right after Yuri got some practice in. Maybe he could go early, take a few minutes to persuade Yuri to go to dinner with him. He covered his hands over his face and bit back a groan. The dinner was supposed to be an apology for making him uncomfortable earlier and he kept making things worse. He needed to salvage this…not for his sake, but for the twins.

Trying to push his panic aside, he managed to go out with everyone to lunch. The kids chattered about what they’d done with Chris that morning and what they wanted to do when Victor and Otabek were done with the competition. Afterwards, the kids were worn out and Victor managed to get some stretching in before he packed up his bag and made his way back to the rink and began his search for Yuri. Making his way to the locker room, he slid on his skates before making his way out to the main area. The sound of blades sliding along the ice and his eyes found the sole figure on the ice.

Yuri’s body was fluid, beautiful. His step sequences seemed effortless. Victor watched as Yuri exited a triple axel and glided again across the ice. It took his breath away and he wished things had been different…that Yuri hadn’t retired having so much potential in him.

Yuri geared up for another jump…a quad salchow, launching with ease, but he had to put a hand on the ice as he landed. Still he didn’t let it bother him, recovering quickly enough to continue with his routine.

A small smile crossed Victor’s face as he continued to watch, entranced as Yuri’s body danced, making beautiful music on the ice. Victor could see the hints of a story unfolding, one that was incomplete, but enthralling all the same. Yuri stopped, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt, adjusting his gloves before going over part of the program again. Victor stepped out of the shadows for a better look just as Yuri went to jump the salchow again, but something startled him just as he went to jump. Distracted, Yuri fell completely when he landed, rolling on the ice. Victor gasped in surprise, moving to the opening in the rink to get on the ice, tossing his guards off to the side on the floor.

Yuri scrambled to get up kneeling by the time Victor reached him. Victor bent down, holding out a hand for Yuri to take. Yuri took it and Victor helped to pull him up, trying to keep himself steady on the ice.

“That was a rough fall, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Yuri said a little quickly before pausing to collect himself. “I mean…I’ve had worse falls than that over the years.”

“I don’t think it matters anyway. It hurts no matter how many times or how hard you fall.”

“That’s true.” Yuri agreed, turning away with a flush on his cheeks. “I’m sorry if I went over my time. I lose track of it when I’m on the ice.”

“No, I came early…I should be apologizing for distracting you.” Victor felt a blush creep over his cheeks. An awkward pause lingered between them for a few moments and Victor tried to think of what to say. His usual strategy was to just say what he thought, but with Chris’ warning in mind, he needed at least a little bit of thought into his words.

“Actually, I wanted to apologize again for earlier. I usually act without thinking and I might have been a little bit pushy earlier. I wanted to come back and ask again, properly. Would you go out to dinner with me tonight?”

Yuri looked stunned, eyes wide and filled with confusion. Victor placed a hand on top of the one still holding Yuri’s. He didn’t know what to say to Yuri to make him want to go with him.

“Why?” Yuri managed to get out. “Why would you want to go out to dinner with me?”

Victor was confused now, but this he could answer. “You fascinate me Yuri and I want to get to know you better. Will you let me?”

That adorable blush crept over Yuri’s face and he tried to turn away and hide it. He took a moment to think about it and turned back to Victor, eyes determined.

“I’d like that. I…I want to get to know you too.”

Victor beamed at the other skater. “Then I will see you in the lobby at seven.”

He uncovered Yuri’s hand, pulling it up to press his lips to Yuri’s knuckles watching Yuri get flustered. He pulled his hand away gently bringing his other hand up to cover the spot that Victor kissed.

“I…I…uh…I guess I’ll let you get to your practice. I’ll see you tonight.”

“All right.”

Victor watched as Yuri skated away…letting him go. He felt a little bit of longing watching Yuri’s retreat, but the knowledge that he’d be seeing Yuri again in just a couple of hours lessened the feeling. Knowing that, he skated to the center of the ice and began to skate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yuri was panicking. That wasn’t news to anyone who knew him and even Minami had figured it out quickly in the months they’d been working together. The younger skater sat on the spare double bed watching as Yuri went through his suitcase, laying what he’d brought with him on the bed.

He was picking the restaurant, already knew where he wanted to go. After thinking about it, he decided on casual dining, nothing too fancy but something that had a little bit of class to it. His fingers shook as he questioned his choice, but that wasn’t the decision in front of him. He hadn’t brought anything with him that suited going on a date. He’d brought his suits to wear during the competition, a few casual clothes for walking around the old stomping grounds he and Phichit frequented during their time in Detroit, and practice clothes. Nothing nice…at least not nice enough for Victor.

Groaning and burying his face in his shirt for a moment, he tossed it in his discard pile. Minami looked up from his phone, a soft expression on his face.

“You should just wear something casual and comfortable. I’m sure no matter what you wear, Victor won’t care. He seems to like you a lot and you like him, right?”

Yuri sighed, flopping on top of the bed. “I do like him which is why I want to look nice for him.”

“Don’t let him fool you, Minami.” Phichit called from the other room. They could hear him rummaging around in there, sounding far too pleased. “He’s had a crush on Victor since before I met him. If Yuri had it his way, Victor and him would be mates.”

“Phichit!” Yuri groaned, pulling his most recently discarded shirt over his face to hide it. He’d turned red so many times today he worried that his face might permanently remain flushed.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Yuri. We’ve all got dreams and now this one might be coming true for you.” Phichit called in a teasing tone.

Yuri moved the shirt off his face. “It’s just an apology dinner. Victor doesn’t know me from anyone else and it’s just a one time thing. He could have any Alpha he wanted, so I doubt he fixate on me. I’m just going to go enjoy a meal and talk to him. After that, we’ll just go our separate ways.”

Phichit stepped into the room, a bundle in his hands. “It could be more if you fought for it. You don’t have to go and confess you love him or anything like that. Actually, that might be the worst thing you can do.”

Yuri made a sound, giving Phichit a look that screamed, ‘you think?’ The beta just smiled, used to Yuri’s meltdowns and giving pep talks by now.

“Look, go out to eat. Talk to him, see if you can make him laugh and if there’s any chemistry there. We have a couple of days here in Detroit. If tonight goes well, you can ask him out this time and see if he’ll go out with you again. Don’t think about the future or anything beyond tonight and you’ll do just fine.”

“All right.” Yuri said, giving in to Phichit’s words. “But it’ll never happen if I can find something to wear.”

“Say no more. I might have met up with an old friend who wanted my opinion on her new wardrobe. While I was out, something told me that you might be needing a little something extra for a fun night out, so…” Phichit held up the items draped over his arm.

He had a pair of black jeans and a blue button up shirt. He also had a nicer pair of black shoes. His trademark grin appeared at the look Yuri was giving him and he draped the clothes over a chair before helping Yuri to sit up on the bed.

“Come on, Yuri. We’ve got to get your ready for you date. You’ll look so good, Victor will be absolutely smitten and begging for a second date.”

Yuri wanted to argue, but Phichit dragged him into the bathroom to help him to get ready. By the time the Thai man was done, Yuri was dressed in his new clothes, hair slicked back and his barely used contact lenses in his eyes. Even he had to admit he looked good.

“I outdid myself. You look like the kind of Alpha I’d wanna go out with and maybe do a little bit more.” Phichit stood off to the side admiring his handiwork.

“Phichit.” Yuri groaned starting to hide his face.

“No, no, no!” Phichit shouted. “You’ll mess up my work and you’ll be late to meet Victor. Seriously, you should expect me to tease you. Now, let’s get you downstairs for your date. Just so you know, I’ll be waiting up to here all about it so make sure you have something juicy for me.”

Yuri chose to ignore him this time, not wanting to give Phichit more ammunition. Instead, he took one last look at himself in the mirror before grabbing his phone, wallet and a jacket, leaving Phichit and Minami with a wave and a few calls of good luck.

The lobby was a little busy, people coming and going. Yuri was a few minutes early deciding to stand off to the side and out of the way while he waited. No one seemed to recognize him or if they did, they didn’t approach him.

Time passed and he kept fidgeting with is shirt or belt or hair as the minutes wore on. Glancing at the screen of his phone to check the time. Victor was late. Hopefully nothing happened, but as Yuri waited, his nerves and excuses formed in his head.

When the time reached 7:30, Yuri had convinced himself that he’d been played, left to stand down here like a fool. Why would Victor want an Alpha like him? He had nothing to offer an Omega like Victor, though it didn’t lessen the hurt he felt.

Accepting the truth for what it was, he decided to head back up to his room. Maybe Phichit and Minami would just let him be alone for a little while and sulk.

He hit the button on the elevator trying hard not to let his disappointment show on his face as he waited. He had to wait for a few moments but eventually the doors opened and a body slammed into him in a rush.

Yuri caught himself, bracing hands on the arms of the man who ran into him. Looking up, he opened his mouth to say something only to see a very disheveled Victor.

“Yuri…” He breathed in relief, the rest of his story coming out in a rush.  “I’m so sorry I’m late. I lost track of time and practice ran over, then right before I was going to come down and meet you one of the twins got sick all over my clothes and I had to get another shower and figure out something else to wear. I would have texted you, but then I realized I don’t have your number and now I’ve…”

Yuri took a moment to really look at Victor. He wore a grey turtleneck and black slacks though they both looked a little wrinkled. His hair was shower wet and sticking at odd angles. He looked tired and little creases in the corner of his eyes showed just how stressed he was.

“It’s all right, Victor.” Yuri said, unable to feel anything but elation at the fact that Victor showed up. “Things happen, I get it. I wish I’d known, but I’m glad your here now.”

Some of the tension slid out of Victor’s frame and his face looked hopeful. Hopefully that was a good sign. Yuri boldly reached up and adjusted Victor’s hair so that it looked more presentable and managed a small smile. Victor smiled shyly in return.

“Does that mean you still want to go?” Victor asked, still sounding a little unsure.

Yuri nodded. “If you still want to go. You said one of the twins got sick…should you…?”

“Oh no, not sick like that. Apparently, Chris let Katja have a bit too much ice cream today. She’d been complaining of a stomachache, but it wasn’t until I got ready to leave…well, you get the idea.” Victor said. “I’m sure now that it’s out of her system she’ll feel a bit better. Chris had already gotten her to lay down and she was falling asleep as I was leaving.”

“Are you sure? I’d understand if you want to stay with her.” Secretly, he hoped Victor would say he still wanted to go, but Yuri would feel guilty leaving unless he was sure this is what Victor wanted too. If he decided to stay, Yuri would understand, but he’d miss his one chance to talk to his idol.

“No.” Victor shook his head. “I started to stay in, but Chris insisted I go with you. Apparently, he’s worried that I don’t get out and do much for myself anymore and Katja getting sick is his fault, so he wanted to take care of her. If he needs help, Otabek is there with him and he’s doing a great job keeping Shura occupied. How my son likes video games and reading so much, I do not know, but it’s something he and Otabek have in common, so they’re practically best friends.”

Yuri breathed out a sigh of relief and casually reached up to run his fingers through the silver strands trying to fix it a bit. Satisfied when it lay flat, he pulled away quickly realizing what he had been doing trying to keep calm as his heart raced. He hadn’t meant to, but doing that felt natural to him to care for an Omega…Victor especially, though he couldn’t explain why.

“Sorry.” He murmured, clearing his throat nervously. “Shall we go?”

Victor’s face lit up, not looking bothered by Yuri’s touch. Nodding he gestured for Yuri to lead the way and they both left the hotel. It was a short walk to a small restaurant a few blocks away. It’s one that Pichit and him went to when they had a bit of money to splurge on pizza and beer while they’d been in college. It also sold some decent Italian food, not authentic, but good enough.

They took their seats and ordered their food before the nerves began to set in again. Yuri didn’t know what to say to Victor, didn’t even know why Victor even wanted to eat with him. He didn’t realize Victor had ordered wine until it arrived and Victor was pouring him a glass. Lifting it up to toast, he gave Yuri a dazzling, genuine smile.

“To a successful competition.” He murmured, a bit of mirth in his eyes.

“Uh…yeah.” He lifted his glass up, touching them lightly and they both took a sip. It was okay wine though Victor didn’t agree as his face scrunched up a bit, but said nothing.

“So Yuri, I’ve always been curious. Why did you retire from skating and why did you come back to coach?”

Yuri nearly dropped his glass, but managed to hold on. The question threw him off. He didn’t know what he expected when he came to dinner, but it certainly wasn’t this.

“I decided I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time anymore. I’d been skating for years, I still love it, but my nerves kept getting the better of me. It just seemed l like the best option for my future…at least it did at the time.” Yuri paused. “I missed it at first, wondering if I made a good decision, wondering if I’d regret it…and I did miss it for a long time, but I never gave it up entirely. I taught back at home, still practiced when I could. When Minami showed up, I didn’t think I was ready to return. It wasn’t the first offer I’d gotten to coach, but it was Pichit that suggested that he come in and help me this year, to help me. I’m just taking it one day at a time…one season at a time. I’ll see how I feel at the end of this year. I’m not sure if I’m cut out to be a coach.”

“I think you’re doing an amazing job. Minami clearly adores you, and from what I saw earlier you’ve done a phenomenal job with him. You’re very observant and call out what he needs to adjust. It’s my first year coaching as well, so I’m feeling a little bit worried about how I’m doing as a coach. But the more we do this, the more experience we’ll get.” Victor admitted. “Though I’ve got a little bit of experience at jumping into something and not knowing what I’m doing. It’s terrifying at first, but at the same time, the end result is extremely gratifying.”

Yuri knew in an instant, Victor was talking about his kids. There was a sad, nostalgic look on his face, but there’s a bit of fondness there too. Victor didn’t hide how much he adored the twins, though it had to be a lot of work and stressful to raise two children of the same age. So many tabloid pictures of Victor looking exhausted, but still out in public with them. Yuri knew it couldn’t be easy, but he could see the point Victor was trying to make. He nodded, taking another sip of wine contemplating a question of his own.

“Victor, if I can ask, why didn’t you return to competitive skating after you had the kids? I know there’s a lot of speculation out there and if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I know those sort of things are private…”

Victor got a faraway look in his eyes as he gazed casually at the wine glass in his hand. “At first I tried to. I got back into shape, swore to Chris and Yakov that I’d be back on the ice, but I pushed myself too hard. I wasn’t in any real condition to return and hurting myself in the process didn’t help. I had to take more time off and Chris and Yakov both believed that I should take it easy and spend time with the twins. Yakov made the announcement about my retirement without asking me, but it was probably for the best. In the end, I wound up being a consultant for him and this year a coach now that the twins are a bit older. He saw what I refused to see at the time, and although I regret not being able to do one more season, I’m grateful that they saw what I couldn’t and stopped me.”

Yuri turned away, realizing how much it took for Victor to admit something like that. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked something so personal.”

“It’s all right.” Victor waved it off like it was nothing. “I asked you something personal as well and you were honest with me. The best I can do is be honest with you. I want to be with you.”

Victor reached out and placed his hand over Yuri’s. Yuri felt a bit of comfort in the touch. It felt natural, almost like he’d done it before. He knew that Omega’s had a powerful calming affect on Alphas, but he never knew one to have this much of an affect on him. Still he felt so confused about Victor’s motives in all this.

“Why me though? Why do you want to be honest with me? Why did you want to take me out to dinner? I’m…not much of an Alpha and you’re amazing. You could have anyone you want.”

Victor opened his mouth to answer, but they were interrupted by the arrival of their food. Victor’s lips snapped shut and he waited for the waitress to leave. She giggled lightly at Victor making Yuri want to growl at the attention, but he held back and she left them to their meal. Yuri started to dig in, wanting to forget he’d even asked Victor anything.

“Yuri, I want to answer your questions.” Victor said, causing Yuri to pause for a moment. “You deserve to know, but not here surrounded by all these people. Would you be willing to wait just a little bit longer. We can go for a walk after this and I’ll tell you what you want to know. Is that all right with you?”

Yuri nodded. He desperately wanted to know the answer, but he didn’t want Victor to feel obligated or pressured to tell him. He could wait a bit longer for the answer.

They returned to safer topics of conversation. Victor asked him about his life in Japan and some of his favorites like his favorite color and food. He’d answer with his own responses when he was done making Yuri feel more at ease. They ate between questions, sipping at their terrible wine and water. They even laughed a little bit as the heavy air of their earlier questions evaporated. Time seemed to pass by too quickly and before they knew it, their plates were empty and glasses mostly gone. Victor called for the check and paid so that they could leave.

The evening air was cool, but not uncomfortably so. Yuri didn’t want the night to end…or at the least, his date with Victor. There was more to the man than the vision Yuri saw. This small glimpse into the older coach’s life let him see the human underneath the public mask and he wanted to know more. Standing just outside of the restaurant, a hint of awkwardness returned, but Victor’s voice broke the silence making Yuri relax a bit.

“It’s not too late and I did want to answer your questions from earlier. There’s a small park nearby if you’d like to go for a walk.”

Yuri bit his bottom lip, anxiety returning at the thought of what Victor would say. Still, he wanted to know, so he nodded a little too eagerly and Victor gestured in the direction they needed to travel. Walking side by side, Victor kept up the small talk, asking Yuri if he like animals, dogs in particular. Victor seemed so much easier to talk to when they were talking like this. The questions and answers may have been a bit cliche, but Yuri was glad for their simplicity. In a strange way, they were learning more about one another, and not just by the answers they spoke.

When they reached the park, they found it deserted. Not too many people would be out at this hour, but Yuri was glad because that meant Victor could be open with him and not worry about anyone overhearing him. They found a small bench a little way in on a path and Victor sat down, patting the spot beside him so Yuri would sit down next to him. Yuri moved to sit, nerves returning, especially with Victor growing quiet and thoughtful that didn’t fit the man.

Yuri fought the urge to fidget, not wanting Victor to see how nervous he was. Glancing his way, Yuri couldn’t help but think of how beautiful Victor looked in the moonlight. He desperately want to know the answer to his question, but he wanted Victor to have his thoughts together when they talked about this. His nerves grew steadily worse and he looked away, trying to think of a good way to occupy his mind so he didn’t come close to having a panic attack. After a moment, the a vaguely familiar scent, pine trees and snow, filled his senses and he glanced up to see Victor’s concerned face.

“Yuri, are you all right? You smell a little stressed.” Victor pointed out.

“Sorry.” Yuri quickly apologized and realized he had released his scent without thinking about it. “I…uh…guess I’m just a little anxious to hear your answer.”

Victor looked puzzled for a moment, turning away to look up at the sky. “Yuri, what do you remember about Sochi?”

Yuri went stiff at the question, mind going back the one of the worst moments of his career. He didn’t know what Sochi had to do with anything, but it’d been the first and last time he saw Victor at the time. He didn’t know what Sochi had to do with the answer, but if it was something Victor needed to know…

“I remember the competition. My dog had passed away and my nerves got the better of me, so I fell to sixth place. After that, I remember Coach Celestino dragged me to the banquet. I don’t really remember much from that evening. I think I had too much to drink because I woke up with a bad hang over the next morning. I try to stay away from alcohol, but I was still feeling a bit down after the competition. Other than that, I remember getting on the plane to go back to Detroit to prepare for Nationals.”

It was tough to admit, but he found he wanted to be as honest with Victor as Victor had been with him. Victor inhaled sharply at his words.

“I’m sorry about your dog. I know how much they become like family. I know if something had happened to mine while I was gone at a competition, I wouldn’t have been able to skate well either.” Victor looked sad for a moment, though he seemed to brush it off to focus on the reason they were here. “You really don’t remember what happened at the banquet?”

Yuri shook his head, getting a twisting feeling in his gut. Dreading the possibilities, considering he went off the rails the few times he’d allowed himself to get drunk. He always gotten into way too much trouble, and from the way the grin crept across Victor’s face, he got the feeling he was about to find out.

“You made quite an impression. You danced against Yuri Plisetski and won by a landslide. Then Chris pulled out a pole and you both wowed the crowd with your skills. Where did you learn to pole dance?”

Yuri groaned out loud, hiding his face in his hands. He knew it…knew he’d done something incredibly stupid that night. To find out that he’d gotten drunk and made a full of himself in front of sponsors, fellow skaters, and then Victor himself.

“Yuri, it’s all right. You’re a fabulous dancer. For the first time in a long time, the banquet wasn’t stagnant or boring. No one could turn away from watching you. You captivated me that night, especially when you came over to ask me to dance.” Victor shot him a dazzling smile that made his heart melt a bit. “It was one of the most exciting nights of my life. I wanted to talk to you once you sobered up, but you’ve been difficult to get in touch with.”

That much was true. Yuri hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone. He stayed quiet until he finished his degree that spring and then moved back home. He’d cut ties with many of his rink mates and had been too embarrassed to talk to Coach Celestino after his blunder. If Victor had tried to get a hold of him through his former coach, Celestino wouldn’t have gotten a chance to pass anything on to him, if he remembered after all this time.

“Shortly after that, I found out that I was pregnant with the twins. I was forced to focus more on my health and then the twins after they were born. I had to sacrifice anything that I wanted for their sake, so I thought I’d lost the chance to talk to you…especially once I heard you retired. In the end, I did finally go back to skating, first as a consultant and choreographer. Towards the end of the last season, Yakov asked if I would consider coming on as a coach under him. I accepted partially so that I could stay close to the ice and also so I had means to make sure the twins could have whatever they need to succeed. It wasn’t until I was already working with the Russian team that I found out you were returning to the ice too as a coach. I thought it might be a second chance to talk to you, to see if I was still captivated by you.”

“And are you?” Yuri asked, worried about the answer. He hadn’t done anything spectacular that night. He almost didn’t have the date and Yuri took him to a cheesy restaurant where he bumbled over questions. Not only that, he felt so inferior. What Victor could possibly see in him, he didn’t know.

“Yuri, every time I meet you, talk to you, I’m fascinated by you. I’ve never had anyone surprise me the way you do. You surprised me then and you surprised me now. You’re nothing like I expected you to be and more than I could have ever imagined.” Victor’s smile was dazzling and it warmed Yuri’s heart. “I’m not going to deny that I want more, Yuri, but I want to do this the right way. I want to become your friend and see where it goes. I just need to know that this might be something that you might want too.”

Yuri knew he was practically gaping at Victor. Victor wanted to be friends and possibly something more. He couldn’t fathom it, didn’t want to believe it. Victor couldn’t possibly want him as his Alpha. He looked up at Victor though and saw how eager he looked and a hint of nervousness. Yuri knew he had to make a decision and say something, anything to tell Victor how he felt.

“Victor, I…I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time. I’ve always liked you and I really enjoyed myself tonight.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve never really been in any serious relationships and I don’t have a whole lot of confidence. I’m still waiting to see if I wake up and this is some sort of dream, but if this is real, I want to try with you…to get to know you, but we’re both so busy and we live in different countries on different continents. How can we make this work?”

Victor looked a little thoughtful. “We’re going to be busy during the skating season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t text or Skype. We can figure out things as we go and we can take it as slow as you want.”

Yuri realized that Victor was trying to meet him half way, trying to quiet Yuri’s doubts and fears by offering solutions. He still had a hard time believing this was real, but there was a bit of hope that he might have a chance with his idol…a chance at getting to know the real Victor. He’d get a chance of a childhood dream of possibly being Victor’s Alpha, even if they were a long way away from that. Carefully, he reached out covering Victor’s hand with his. Victor flipped his hand over threading their fingers together. The contact felt warm in the cool air.

“I want to try. I think I’d regret not trying. I still don’t see what you see in me, but I know what it’s like to be captivated by someone.”

Yuri felt calm for once, holding Victor’s hand and sure of what he wanted. They sat there quietly, basking in just being together for a little while longer knowing that they couldn’t stay in their own little world much longer. Victor had his kids to get back to and both had competitors to oversee. Victor moved first, pulling Yuri to his feet and they held hands all the way back to the hotel. They were surprised to find they were on the same floor, their rooms a few doors down from each other.

They didn’t want the night to end, so they paused outside of Victor’s hotel room, lingering for just a few seconds longer. Feeling a bit bold, he pulled Victor’s hand up to kiss his knuckles watching the Russian blush for once. “Goodnight, Victor. I’ll see you at the competition tomorrow.”

“Breakfast.” Victor blurted out, face turning redder. “Would you like to meet for breakfast in the morning? We can do a group breakfast with everyone. It’ll be fun.”

“Okay.” Yuri agreed and they set up a time. Only then did Victor let go of his hand and Yuri missed the warmth.

“Goodnight, Yuri.” Victor murmured before saying something in Russian. Yuri watched him go, waiting for the door to shut before turning away.

He’d done it. He’d gone on a date with Victor and agreed to more. Nothing was going to ruin this night for him, not even knowing his nosy best friend was waiting for him behind his door. Even knowing that he and Victor would have to fight to spend time together and make this work couldn’t ruin his mood. He paused just outside his hotel room, taking a deep breath and delaying the end of the night one more time before he slid the key card across the sensor. Tomorrow was a new day after all, one that would be filled with new opportunities and chances to spend time with Victor. Yuri couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And my last completed chapter that I was able to get done before now. Chapter 6 is about 75% complete and I've got two more major scenes to write. I am some ways disappointed that my super busy August kept me from finishing on time, but I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish thus far and I want to put out a story that I love and that you all can enjoy as well. Including my word count for chapter 6 so far, I wrote a little over 41,000 words (plus my outline is another 17,000 words), I practically wrote a Novella and it'll be novel sized by the time I finish.
> 
> Please subscribe to get updates or come follow me on Tumblr for updates. Thank you for reading and for the comments and kudos thus far.
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